Chapter 2609

"That's right, very close," a voice said.

Linden and Aurora looked forward and saw a tall man standing by the door. They quickly assumed their battle stances.

"Are you here to stop us?"

Troy just raised his hands. "Don't get me wrong. I don't intend to fight you."

The two remain on guard, however. "Then, what do you plan to do?" Aurora asked.

"I'm here to help you both," Troy explained.

"Help us? How?" Linden asked back.

"You've noticed that things are off in this building, right? This barrier was created by Alistair. Alistair is invincible as long as he's in this barrier. I've tested it. I considered stabbing him in the back, but luckily, I was cautious. I did a test by intentionally cutting myself with a small knife while peeling an apple.

“But guess what? That wound healed rapidly right before my eyes. So, I'm telling you, he's invincible within this barrier."

At this moment, Linden suddenly remembered what Esen had mentioned about the Heaven-Shaking Tome. If he was correct, this was indeed the tome's power. Each of the Six Ritualistic Weapons contained unfathomable abilities.

The tome's power was likely related to the array barrier.

"Do you know anything else?" Linden asked.

"Yes, within this barrier, even life and death are under Alistair's control!"

"What? Life and death?!"

"Yes, but certain conditions seem to be required. I witnessed those who had been killed by Alistair instantly returning to life."

"This..."

"So, to deal with Alistair, we must first break this strange barrier."

"Do you have a plan?" Linden asked, his guard lowering.

Troy stepped forward, pulling out a marked map from his hand. "We're currently on the floor just below the top, but if we go up, we'll only reach the second floor. What we need to do is find the first basement level. That's where the barrier resides."

"The first basement level... You managed to find out so much?" Aurora was a bit skeptical.

Could it be a trap to deceive them?

Troy sighed. "I know you don't trust me, and you have every right not to. But everything I've said is true. If you ask me how deep my hatred for Alistair goes, I can't even explain it."

He clenched his fists, lowered his head, and continued, "He killed my parents, but he raised me. I hate him, but I don't know what to do. I know he treats us like his children, and I can't bring myself to act against him. But I can't just let him go either. So, please!"

Troy's head lowered even more. "Please do your best."

Linden and Aurora looked at the incredibly sincere Troy and decided to trust him for now. Linden took the map and suddenly asked, "What are you planning to do afterward?"

"I don't know. We'll see how it ends," Troy replied.

After bidding each other farewell, Linden and Aurora hurried toward the direction of the first basement level.

...

In the building's central area, Fogort and Nash had just dealt with enemies on the first floor. Fogort quickly walked toward the stairway, but then he noticed that Nash was not following.

"Hey! What are you thinking about? Let's go!"

Nash pointed to the nearby elevator. "Why don't we take this?"