Only I Am A Reader-Chapter 591: Labyrinth Entry, Ignited Malice

Unlike the disastrous Gate from last time, the Gate that New Team Aurora was entering wasn't as ominous. Aside from glowing in dark yellow, it looked just like any normal Gate.

There was no sign that a Gate Break was going to happen any time soon; that was precisely why the area around the entrance was crowded with normal people.

The tension that tightened everyone's hearts back then was nowhere to be seen. It reminded Aurora of the time she used to go around with her old, meaningless team.

'It's not a pleasant memory.'

On one hand, the current Aurora had long realized that her old team was practically useless. Rather than Heroes, they were more like actors used for entertainment.

Even the Gates they usually entered were no different from performance stages, making people believe that there was nothing to worry about, that they had everything under control, when in reality, that was never the case.

However, Aurora's old self had foolishly gotten attached, so despite now seeing them for what they truly were, the current Aurora couldn't badmouth them, not even internally.

Part of her believed that the punishment they received was well-deserved, but it still created a deep-seated trauma that she could only suppress, not solve.

Rather than feeling nostalgia, all she felt was a wave of unpleasant itchiness.

Thankfully, Aurora knew the answer to her current problem.

'This time, it will not be the same.'

The Gate they were currently entering might not be on the verge of breaking, but any colored Gate was a major life threat regardless of its breaking status; this Gate Clearing attempt actually mattered!

Most importantly, Aurora had no plans to open her heart to her new companions as she had before. Especially not when she could feel their bad intentions from a mile away.

Unless they could prove that she had misjudged them through pure, honest effort, Aurora didn't intend to become the team's shield once again.

She would be exploited no more!

"We enter."

From Aurora's point of view, what she was attempting right now was the same as a Solo Gate Clear. She was unlikely to receive any proper help, and she never expected it to begin with.

If those four were the shackles she had to wear in order to clear the Gates she wanted without the higher-ups standing in her way, then she would gladly carry that burden.

'Though I can't say that I would go out of my way to keep them on.'

If one just happened to break, then what could anyone really do? It was just their fate.

"Yes, Boss." 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

The others also followed Aurora's command, but the only one who answered with confidence was Kara.

Seeing the earnest look on her face, Aurora tried her best to curb her inner turmoil.

She tried to be firm about everything, but the harsh internal decisions she made took a toll on her.

No matter what, she was still a selfless Hero at core. Aurora tried to convince her core self that only by saving herself could she save others.

However, it just wasn't enough to justify the indifference that her new self wanted to achieve.

Even as the third point of view, though she completely understood the logic behind it, Aurora still felt that it was a bit too much.

'Let's just deal with matters as they come.'

Reacting rather than taking the first action, this was the only halfway solution that Aurora could come up with to restore her composure.

The resolutions she made could still apply, but only if the situation really demanded them!

Aurora acknowledged the fact that she was still quite far from becoming a normal human, but at the same time, she didn't think that her current state was too bad.

Compared to being able to whimsically make decisions without ever looking back, she believed that being able to question herself from three different perspectives actually made her more human than most.

Balance was still the key. Just because she suffered a lot while acting as a selfless Hero didn't mean that she had to switch things all the way to becoming a Villain.

"This is…"

Once Aurora's heart was finally settled, the Thorn Princess's exclamation registered in her ears. Just as expected, this Gate was anything but normal.

"Wow, a maze!"

The first thing that met the group's eyes were walls. On both sides of the road, at the very end of the road… Aside from the path itself, everything else was covered in walls, just like a maze.

If it were just a traditional maze like the ones found on the pack of children's cereal boxes, things would have been simpler.

After all, the entire team was made from Superhumans. Any single one of them could simply jump above the wall and find a shortcut to the exit.

"Or is it more of a Labyrinth? A Labyrinth sounds cooler."

However, even the area above was sealed by yet another wall. The addition of that ceiling almost created a closed rectangle, if not for the openings created when the path changed directions.

Faced with such an unusual space, the only one who remained cheerful was Kara. Aurora herself didn't seem stressed, but she still had a serious expression on her face.

This was usually the case with colored Gates, no one truly knew what they could find inside.

"Is this still a Gate?"

Unlike the experienced Aurora or the confident Kara, the Thorn Sword's expression was rather dubious.

As a supposed Great Hero from the old era, she had naturally cleared Gates before, but the ones she and her sisters went to were just the basic monster extermination type.

This was the first time Vera had to find the monster instead of letting the monsters approach her…

"Don't worry. It's a little more complicated, but the basics are generally the same. We just have to clear all the monsters, reach the end, or both."

Just as she decided in the end, Aurora reassured her unsettled companions and gave a simple explanation, giving them the chance to put in the effort to prove themselves.

"Just make sure to watch your steps, there might be some hidden traps."

Unfortunately, Aurora's initial expression of goodwill fell on deaf ears.

'Is that so?'

Finding their first chance for sabotage, only malice ignited within the heart of the Thorn Queen.