But just as they returned to the previous area, Lorne's brow suddenly twitched.
He keenly sensed that several surges of magic power were rapidly approaching from above!
He was quite familiar with one of these magic powers.
"Someone's coming!" Lorne warned.
Asta and Noelle immediately became alert.
No sooner had he spoken than three figures appeared at a huge opening above the hall.
They descended from the sky, landing lightly on the ground not far away.
Leading them was a black-haired youth with a stern expression, a golden four-leaf grimoire hanging at his waist.
Beside him was a serious-looking young man wearing glasses, and on the other side was a cute, orange-haired noble girl.
They all wore splendid cloaks embroidered with the Golden Dawn emblem.
The strongest Magic Knight Squad—Golden Dawn!
"Yuno!"
The moment he recognized the newcomers, Asta shouted in surprise.
That black-haired youth was none other than his rival, Yuno!
Yuno merely glanced at Asta indifferently, giving a slight nod as a response.
His attitude was as cold as ever.
But Asta didn't mind at all, still wearing a bright smile on his face.
However, the atmosphere was quickly broken.
"Yuno, our mission is to conquer this Magic Palace; we need to reach the treasure hall deep within the Magic Palace as quickly as possible."
It was Klaus, the young man with glasses, who spoke.
He pushed up his glasses, his gaze sweeping over Asta and Noelle, his eyes filled with undisguised contempt and disgust.
"We don't have time to get entangled with these guys!"
"You bastard..."
The smile on Asta's face instantly vanished.
He took a step forward abruptly, glaring fiercely at Klaus.
"Hey! Yuno, who's this rude four-eyes?"
"Four-four-eyes?!"
Klaus bristled like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.
He pointed at Asta, his finger trembling with anger.
"You... you're the rude one!"
"How can you talk to this four-eyes... no, to this noble like that."
Just as the two were about to get into a heated argument, Lorne, who had been silent, finally spoke.
"Asta, calm down."
Asta immediately shut his mouth but still glared at Klaus, puffing out his cheeks.
Lorne took two steps forward, his gaze calmly fixed on the three members of the Golden Dawn.
Klaus also put down his hand sheepishly when he saw Lorne, turning his gaze towards him.
"I heard there were four of you. Where's the other one?"
"Could it be that he abandoned you and ran back? Or perhaps he's already been taken out by a trap spell!"
Asta and Noelle heard this and were at a loss for words, feeling awkward.
Lorne also felt a headache coming on at this point; he hadn't expected to encounter this.
"That guy Luck sensed other people's magic and went after them ahead of us. We're not sure where he ran off to right now."
However, after Klaus heard this, the mockery on his face grew even stronger.
"No matter what, he's a scumbag who abandoned the newcomers! Truly befitting of the Black Bulls, tarnishing the Magic Knight Squad. You've lost one person before even starting the exploration; you're just here to drag us down!"
"You dare say that, you bastard!"
Asta's anger was reignited.
"Enough."
Lorne stopped Asta again; he really didn't want to continue this pointless argument.
His gaze passed over Klaus and landed on the cute orange-haired girl, Mimosa Vermillion.
He knew she was a plant magic user, possessing extremely strong perception and exploration abilities.
"The internal structure of this Magic Palace is complex and full of traps. Enemies are also hidden in the shadows, so going it alone is not a wise choice."
Lorne's voice was clear and calm.
"I think we should cooperate temporarily, share information, and explore deeper together. This will not only be more efficient but also safer."
Lorne's idea was simple: since someone could be a ready-made radar, why should he painstakingly scout the path little by little?
When you can be lazy, you should be lazy with a clear conscience.
Klaus pushed up his glasses. He still had an impression of Lorne; he was definitely not weak, but the other two were hard to say.
"Cooperate? With you? Or with the two of them as well?"
Klaus shook his head, with undisguised doubt.
"Put away your ridiculous ideas. Bringing these idiots along won't improve efficiency at all!"
He lifted his chin haughtily.
"Next, I'll let you witness firsthand the huge gap between the top and bottom of the Magic Knight Squad!"
With that, he gave an order to his companions behind him without looking back.
"Mimosa! Use your magic to lead the way! We don't have time to waste here with trash!"
"Yes!"
Although Mimosa felt her senior's words were a bit excessive, she still obediently followed the order.
She took out her grimoire, and her magic power began to surge.
"Plant Creation Magic—Magic Flower's Waypoint!"
A vibrant green vine rapidly grew from the ground, and at the top of the vine, a strange flower bloomed.
A three-dimensional map of the entire Magic Palace appeared on the flower's disc.
Klaus looked at Mimosa, who had a clear understanding of the Magic Palace's structure, and shouted again.
"Yuno!"
Yuno said nothing, merely silently opening his grimoire.
Wind began to gather, and a strong gust of air instantly lifted the three members of the Golden Dawn.
"You guys can slowly crawl over!"
Klaus left a final remark filled with superiority.
The next second, the three, riding on the wind boat in the direction indicated by the magic flower, instantly vanished at the end of the passage.
The entire hall was once again left with only the Black Bulls trio, who had been left far behind.
"Damn it! That four-eyed bastard! He's too arrogant!"
Asta stomped his feet in anger, waving his fists in the direction they disappeared.
"I will, I absolutely will find the treasure before them! And make them look at me in a new light!"
"Hmph, what's so great about that..."
She mumbled softly, cheering herself and her companions on.
Lorne looked at the two, sighing helplessly.
"Sigh, just as I thought."
He knew that cooperating with that guy was a bit unlikely.
"Plan A failed." Lorne spread his hands, "Well then, let's start Plan B."
"What's Plan B?" Asta immediately turned around, looking at him with eager eyes.
Lorne said calmly, "Plan B is... just wander around until we find the way."
"Huh?! You call that a plan?!" Asta's face instantly fell.
"What else?" Lorne shrugged, "We can't just stand here and wait. Let's go, we can't let them get too far ahead."
With that, he took the lead, choosing a random passage that looked appealing and walking into it.
Asta and Noelle exchanged glances, only able to follow helplessly.
Without a map to guide them, the trio could only wander through the intricate passages of the Magic Palace like headless flies.
Although Lorne was also scouting with ice crystals, the efficiency was far less than when he was previously disarming traps.
The Magic Palace was too big.
They wandered around, passing through several empty halls, and time ticked by.
"Ahhh, where are we even going?"
Not finding the right direction, Asta was also starting to lose his patience.
Just then.
Boom—!!!
A dull, massive roar faintly came from deep within the Magic Palace, and the entire ground trembled slightly with it.
The trio's footsteps stopped simultaneously.
"Hmm?" Lorne's brow twitched, "What was that sound?"
"It's an explosion!"
Asta immediately became alert.
Noelle also nervously gripped her grimoire:
"Is it an enemy?"
Immediately after, there was another, even more violent roar!
Boom!
This time, the sound was much clearer.
Along with the explosion, a violent surge of lightning magic power spread out.
Lorne was all too familiar with this magic power.
And amidst that violent lightning, there was also a faint, intermittent sound of laughter, full of joy and madness.
"Haha... Hahahaha!"
The sound, passing through layers of walls, was somewhat muffled, but that unique voice allowed them to recognize it.
"That voice is... Luck!"
Lorne suddenly turned to look in the direction of the sound.
Found him.
"Over there!"
Lorne pointed without hesitation to a passage in the front left.
"Let's go!"
Before he finished speaking, frost had already begun to gather under his feet, preparing to accelerate.
Note:
Hello everyone!
First of all, I want to send my warmest wishes to you and your families. May your Lunar New Year be filled with warmth, reunion, and joy. I hope you all stay healthy and have a wonderful year ahead!
I have a small announcement: I will be taking a Lunar New Year holiday starting on February 15th, 2026, and will return on February 23rd, 2026. During this time, I want to rest, spend time with my family, and enjoy the traditional New Year atmosphere.
Don't worry! During this break, I will prepare new chapters so I can post them regularly when I return. So please be patient and wait, the upcoming story will be even better!
Thank you so much for your support. Wishing you a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year!