"Yang, how are you feeling now?"

On the other side, on the way to the ice rings of other layers.

Yanni was discussing with Ronald about their current state and their decision to leave the altar.

"That guy Erion doesn't look right, but we're not going to run away like that, right?"

"Don't underestimate people's greed, think about how Grady died before."

While groping his way forward, Ronald said to Yanni at the same time:

"A person with a personality like Iryan, when he encounters these things today, there is a high probability that he will choose to take risks."

"Even if the so-called gem legend is just something on the mural that he doesn't know if it's true or not, I'm afraid he will want to try it now."

“……”

Hearing Ronald's answer, Yanni bowed his head and was silent for a few seconds.

Compared with the mercenary who is not very familiar, she still trusts Ronald behind her more, otherwise she would not have chosen to leave with him just now.

Then Yanni asked another question:

"In that case, why didn't you just throw a grenade down?"

"In that ice cave deep enough, Erion shouldn't have a chance to dodge the explosion."

Ronald showed a complicated look:

"No, there are too few people now."

"With this particular event like this, I feel that it is a rather bad choice to continue the infighting and reduce the number of personnel. Even though there is a serious gap between the two of us now, it is more appropriate to go our separate ways than to separate them face-to-face. ”

Ronald didn't want to deceive the people who stayed with him in the end.

So he was very honest with Yanni about his thoughts.

Of course, at the same time, Ronald was weighing one thing in mind - the true purpose of the original trial.

The previous state of speculation is no longer appropriate at the moment.

The various encounters since entering the ruins, as well as the various signs he has discovered, all indicate that the goal of the trial of the original scriptures is probably not as simple as investigating the ruins clearly, but that there are some more hidden conditions.

So what is the truth hidden beneath the surface?

Ronald has some ideas now.

After all, this is the unifying trial of "The Divine Comedy - Purgatory Chapter".

Then refer to the encounters he had experienced in the previous trial of the original canon.

Perhaps—

The environment I am in now.

Is it somehow related to the seven deadly sins, the most important attribute of purgatory?

“……”

"That's right......"

Ronald continued in contemplation.

Hearing his answer, Yanni also nodded slightly, and then stopped talking.

The node that connected the corridor in the ice was not hard to find, and with the light rods plugged in like guiding lights, it didn't take them long to step into the ice ring at the next level.

Right now, there are headphones that listen to the movements in the surrounding environment.

As soon as Ronald and Yanni combined, they simply did not turn on the light on the helmet, but only slowly groped forward with the help of the lighting rod inserted in the ice wall.

Then there's the question of direction.

Following Grady's message before he died, they still had a chance to return to the ice by going in the direction they had traveled from here—the foolish option.

Those blue-skinned animals before have a high probability of still guarding the ice layer above. If you really choose the original way to return successfully, then the probability of being caught directly by that creature while groping out of the tunnel will be close to ninety percent.

- When the time comes, it won't be called escape.

- That's called death!

So with this in mind, Ronald and Yanni chose another direction to move on.

There was no reliable and safe way for them to get out of the remains of houses in the ice, so the only option was to continue exploring the possibilities.

Even if you take another 10,000 steps back, this direction is also a dead end.

After they have bypassed the entire ice lake for such a large area, the risk of returning the same way is much lower than going out directly.

With that in mind.

The distance between the two groping in the ice ring tunnel is getting farther and farther away

And as their progress continued to advance, the location where the two of them had set foot also came to a place that the explorers had not reached before.

It's pitch black.

There are no lighting rods stuck in the wall to illuminate the road.

“……”

Standing in the last light, Ronald and Yanni glanced at each other.

They read each other's thoughts, then turned on the lights on their helmets again, and then continued cautiously.

In the dark and deep ice.

The two figures with bright lights above their heads supported each other and continued to move forward.

Although the environment is extremely dangerous, and there is no guarantee that there are no terrible creatures lurking in the dark around you, you can rely on each other at this time, and you can also maintain a calm state of mind.

The first point is especially true for Ronald.

He even had a sense of familiarity with his work experience before he crossed over, and a sense of being trustworthy and trusting of his colleagues.

“……”

"Be careful!"

Suddenly, Yanni shouted as he was advancing.

The girl pounced on Ronald at the moment of speaking, and with a single movement with full body strength, she directly rolled them into the corner of the wall of the ice ring tunnel.

"Yanni, what's wrong with you?"

Ronald looked up in confusion.

Then they saw - in their direction, some pale blue jellyfish-like transparent creatures were clinging to the top of the ice wall tunnel. Because these things lurk there quietly, and they don't make any sound.

Even if Ronald and his headphones were on, they couldn't detect the existence of these things.

If it weren't for Yanni to stop it in time.

He's definitely gone right underneath these things.

"What is this......"

Ronald couldn't help but mutter.

When he saw what was in front of him, the first thing he thought of was the barnacle monster in "Half-Life" - the two things are very similar, but the color is very different.

And then there's the most basic analysis of this thing.

Movement is heard but nothing is moved.

This is supposed to behave when the animal is ambushed and hunting, so ......

"I'll shoot one down."

Ronald observes the creature's appearance and analyzes its possible habits. And Yanni, who rescued him, was already quite unhappy at the moment to take out his weapon and aim at a creature on the ceiling is an arrow.

Smack-

Yanni now has nothing to do with the way she used to cherish animals.

The arrow hits the target with precision.

Then, the blue creature that had been hit by the arrow immediately became loose and fell from the top of the ice ring tunnel along the end of the arrow.

Whoosh –

The development after that was the same as Ronald thought.

Several other blue animals, which were also lurking on top, immediately stretched out their long, thin, tongue-like organs in the center of their bodies and dragged the thing back, and then each tore off a piece and threw it into their mouths to squirm and digest.

“……”

"Looks like we can get over ......"

Looking at the scene in front of them, Ronald and Yanni began to move forward boldly and confidently.

They all know that this kind of creature that stays in place to hunt will inevitably spend a lot of time eating after catching its prey.

And before they digest the prey they get this time.

Attacks are always temporarily stopped.