by Michael Sisa
After the Scylla made an exit, it could probably carry the entire statue if Lark used gravity magic. The Sword of Morpheus was currently filled with vast amounts of mana. Using gravity magic for several hours should be feasible until they arrived at Blackstone Town.
Without Lark stopping it, the Scylla fired several more spells. The entire labyrinth shook as the ‘exit’ continued growing wider.
VOLUME 6: CHAPTER 10
After his victory in the war against the Empire, Arzen was given full authority over the City of Daxton. Count Boris was too old and had decided to pass all administrative responsibilities to his eldest son. Unsurprisingly, this was met with little to no resistance from the city officials and the general public. Arzen was the hero who freed the City of Yan from the clutches of the Empire, after all. He was the pride of Boris County.
Inside his office in the castle, Arzen leafed through the mountain of documents on top of his desk, prioritizing only the most urgent and important tasks. After coming back to the county, his days were always like this. Most of his time was consumed by endless paperwork, with hardly enough time for him to hone his swordsmanship.
Arzen sighed, put down the document he was holding, and rubbed his brow. The City of Daxton was comparable to the capital in terms of size and population. As the current ruler of the region, there were so many things he needed to do for the territory.
“That stupid baron,” Arzen clicked his tongue, “if he was going embezzle the funds we allocated for the agricultural development in his territory, he should have done it more discreetly! And what’s this? The amount of money he spends every night in brothels is comparable to the yearly salary of our soldiers!”
The baron wasn’t the only one who had taken advantage of Arzen’s absence during the war. After looking through the reports of his men, it seemed that three other officials of Daxton City were ‘misappropriating’ the funds allocated to them.
“Send a message to Baron Miller, the vice-captain of the fifth unit, the head mason of the residential district, and the clerk assigned to oversee our agriculture’s finances.” Arzen repeatedly tapped his finger against the table. “Tell them to come to my office, three hours from now.”
“Understood, My Lord.” Arzen’s secretary bowed upon receiving his orders.
Arzen planned on culling the roots of corruption in his city before everything spiraled out of control. His father, the count, was too soft. Arzen vowed to not make the same mistakes his father had during his reign.
“Ah, My Lord. We received a message from the Mercenary Guild a while ago,” said the secretary.
“Mercenary Guild?”
“It seems that the Thunder Lord is currently in Daxton City and he’s been throwing away hefty sums of money to recruit mercenaries.”
Arzen frowned. The Thunder Lord was one of the strongest magicians in the kingdom. There were even rumors that he had fought the Master of Wizzert to a draw a few years ago.
What was a royal court magician like him doing here in Daxton City?
“Don’t tell me…”
Arzen had a bad feeling about this. He stood up, donned his parka and said, “Where is Lord Nickolai right now?”
“I believe he’s still at the Mercenary Guild as of this moment, My Lord.”
Arzen strapped his sword to his waist. “Gather my guards. We’re going to meet the Thunder Lord right now.”
“As you command!”
Arzen wasn’t stupid. There could be only one reason why the Thunder Lord was here, recruiting mercenaries, in Daxton City. Along with five of his most trusted guards, Arzen walked through the snow-covered streets and headed straight to the Mercenary Guild’s headquarters.
Upon entering the building, Arzen realized that his assumptions were correct. The leather armor worn by the mercenaries was meant to repel the flesh-eating poison gas in the Forbidden Region. They were planning another expedition to that region.
“Ah, Lord Arzen!” the Mercenary Guild Master greeted him amicably the moment he entered.
There were more than a hundred mercenaries gathered here today, and all of them were armed to the teeth. Arzen could see several bags—which probably contained rations—sitting in the corner.
Standing next to the Mercenary Guild Master were Nickolai ‘The Thunder Lord’ and his disciples. After the Guild Master mentioned Arzen’s name, all of them looked in his direction.
“What brings the Lord of Daxton City to this filthy place?” joshed the Mercenary Guild Master.
“Master Rafael, what’s the meaning of this?” Arzen got straight to the point. “Didn’t we agree not to send our men to that damnable region?”
The Mercenary Guild Master’s smile slid down his face. “That agreement was reached last year, wasn’t it? And I believe that Lord Arzen didn’t stop the royal knights when they went on an expedition to the Forbidden Region several months ago.”
“That was clearly an exception. It was a decree from the royal family. There was nothing I could have done about it,” spat Arzen. “Furthermore, there’s a vast difference in skill between the royal knights and these mercenaries. Are you fine with this, Master Rafael? You’ll be sending all of these men to their death.”
The mercenaries were vital to the growth of Daxton City. Unlike the Endless Forest, the forests surrounding the county were home to monsters and ferocious beasts. These mercenaries were responsible for keeping the population of those monsters in check.
“Stop yapping,” Nickolai finally spoke. He glared threateningly at Arzen. “These mercenaries have already accepted the contract. I don’t care if you’re the lord of this city. Don’t get in the way, brat.”
Arzen’s guards placed their hands on the hilts of their swords, clearly displeased at Nickolai’s words. Seeing this, Nickolai smirked. Arzen was sure that the moment his guards unsheathed their swords, lightning spells would rain down on them.
“Now, now,” said the Mercenary Guild Master. “Lord Arzen just wants to ensure the safety of the city’s mercenaries, isn’t that right? There are a lot of monsters living near the outskirts of this territory, you see. It’s understandable that the City Lord is worried about losing these men.”
The Mercenary Guild Master tried to defuse the situation before it escalated even further. He wrapped his arm around Arzen’s shoulder and said, “The Thunder Lord is among the strongest magicians of this kingdom. The expedition in the Forbidden Region shouldn’t be as dangerous as long as he’s with us, right?”
Although Captain Symon regarded Arzen as his benefactor, the captain of the royal knights hadn’t told him about the treasure in the Forbidden Region’s labyrinth. Arzen didn’t know why the Thunder Lord was organizing another expedition to that damnable place.
Arzen fell silent. The argument of Master Rafael was valid. Indeed, although Nickolai was ruthless, he was among the strongest magicians in this kingdom. Nothing too dangerous should happen as long as the mercenaries were with Nickolai.
Arzen sighed. “Fine. But promise me one thing, Master Rafael. If you find yourselves in a perilous situation, turn back immediately. I can’t afford to lose all of the city’s mercenaries.”
Master Rafael chuckled and slapped Arzen’s back. “Of course! All of the mercenaries gathered here today are veterans. With the help of the Thunder Lord, this expedition shouldn’t be too dangerous! And besides, we have a lot of experience in fighting the monsters in the Forbidden Region.”
Arzen decided to concede here. But before he left, he said to the Thunder Lord, “I’ll be sending a report regarding this to the royal family.”
“Do what you want,” scoffed Nickolai.
After Arzen left, the expedition team finished their preparations and went straight to the Forbidden Region. All members of the expedition team wore a leather set capable of neutralizing the flesh-eating poison gas.
It took the group almost a day before reaching the Forbidden Region.
“This is the Forbidden Region, huh?” Nickolai grinne
d broadly.
Just a little bit more and he would finally reach the labyrinth where the treasure was located. Once he obtained the legendary sword, even the king would have no choice but to bow down to him. He would finally hold absolute power, capable of ruling over the entire continent.
“Lord Nickolai,” said one of the mercenaries. He pointed at a place near the ruins. “The area over there is home to the death worm. It’s one of the apex monsters in this region. Although it’ll cost us a few hours, it’ll be safer for us to take a detour to the east where the poison cacti live.”
As expected of mercenaries—although they weren’t as powerful as the royal knights—there was no one more knowledgeable about this place than these louts.
Guided by the mercenaries, Nickolai and his disciples moved through the safest path in the Forbidden Region. The man-eating cacti they encountered along the way were easily taken care of by the mercenaries, and the disciples of Nickolai easily killed the poison wisps and the giant serpents.
“We’ll be entering the giant scorpion territory soon,” said one of the mercenaries. “Everyone, prepare yourselves.”
True to his word, the moment they stepped foot in the ruins, over a hundred giant scorpions started appearing from the snow-covered ground. Green fluid dripped down their stingers, reeking of the word ‘poison.’
The scorpions screeched. Like a mindless mob, the entire horde surrounded and attacked the expedition team.
“Pesky insects,” spat Nickolai.
While the mercenaries were holding off the horde, Nickolai started casting his spell. A ten-meter large magic circle appeared in the sky and from it, over a hundred lightning swords appeared. The lightning swords rained down and struck the giant scorpions, paralyzing them in an instant.
Although the power of the lightning swords wasn’t enough to deal a fatal blow, it was more than enough to render the giant scorpions immobile. The mercenaries didn’t miss this opportunity. Using this opening, they stabbed the heads of the scorpions, killing them in an instant.
The mercenaries looked at Nickolai in awe. The title of the ‘Thunder Lord’ really befitted the royal court magician. Even the giant scorpions weren’t his match.
“More of these things might come this way,” said Nickolai. “What are you waiting for? Lead the way.”
“Ah, Yes!”
The expedition team moved through the Forbidden Region using the same formation and tactic as before: Mercenaries held off the monsters, giving Nickolai the chance to cast high-tier spells. The monsters who managed to endure the Thunder Lord’s magic were then killed by the mercenaries.
At one point, a death worm suddenly shot out of the ground. But to the mercenaries’ surprise, the Thunder Lord simply bound the death worm’s body with a lightning chain, before cutting it into pieces using a lightning blade.
Even the death worm—an apex monster feared by the mercenaries—couldn’t do anything when confronted by absolute power.
They were almost at the labyrinth now, but the number of casualties could be counted in only one hand.
“That’s the labyrinth, huh?” said Nickolai.
Even from this distance, he could see the labyrinth’s entrance. For some strange reason, it reminded him of the temple in the capital. Rather than a labyrinth, it looked like a large shrine.
According to their intel, the first floor of the labyrinth was a haven. A place devoid of traps or monsters. Nickolai planned on taking a rest there before diving into the lower floors.
The expedition team was about to go inside the labyrinth when suddenly, the ground shook. A roar, which reminded them of a furious dragon, was heard from the labyrinth’s entrance.
All thoughts of approaching the labyrinth vanished at once. The nearby monsters screeched and scurried away from sight. Even the giant beetles, who’d been hovering above the expedition team for quite some time now, immediately made a turnabout and flew out of sight.
Nickolai’s face turned grim. The roar was probably from that seven-headed monster guarding the fourth floor of the labyrinth.
Nickolai had no intention of directly fighting it. His initial plan was to use the mercenaries to buy him enough time, at least until he reached the giant golden statue of Evander Alaester. That was why he’d made sure to protect the mercenaries. He still needed them later on, when they finally arrived on the fourth floor.
The ground continued trembling. Even the walls of the labyrinth started forming cracks as loud explosions reverberated from the underground.
“H-Hey, isn’t this bad? Even the monsters are fleeing. We should probably leave now!”
“Lord Nickolai! Your orders?”
Nickolai didn’t respond. He could feel it. Right now, something gargantuan was trying to come out of the labyrinth.
“It’s too late,” said Nickolai. “It’s here.”
Another deafening roar was heard and the roof of the labyrinth was blasted into pieces. The cloud of dust slowly receded, revealing a colossal monster with two pairs of wings and seven heads.
“W-What the hell is that?”
The mercenaries weren’t aware of the existence of this monster. The moment they saw it, all hope was lost and the mercenaries fell into despair. No matter how they looked at it, there was no way for mere humans to win against such a monster.
Even Nickolai couldn’t stop trembling. He could feel the massive amounts of mana flowing through the body of the seven-headed monster. He was sure of it: this creature was proficient in magic.
“Damn it!” Nickolai gnashed his teeth. “Why did it suddenly come out of the labyrinth?”
“M-Master, look! At its back!” One of his disciples pointed.
The cloud of dust had now completely receded. Nickolai was stunned upon seeing a giant statue sitting on the back of the seven-headed monster.
“G-Golden statue?” Nickolai had a bad premonition.
According to the information they’d gathered, the treasure room was inside the golden statue.
Nickolai could not understand why the monster was carrying the statue. He could not understand why the monster had suddenly decided to blast open the ceiling and leave the labyrinth now, of all times.
While Nickolai was lost in his thoughts, he noticed a figure sitting on top of one of the monster’s heads. He was sitting leisurely, as though the creature he was riding was a mere wyvern.
Unfortunately, the figure was clad in a hooded cloak and his face was covered by a mask—the same mask worn by the mercenaries—making it impossible for Nickolai to see his real appearance.
The masked figure stared at the mercenaries below, and mumbled something to the seven-headed monster using an unfamiliar language.
Who was he? How had he managed to tame that beast? Judging by the amount of mana alone, that seven-headed monster could probably fight on par with a dragon.
So many questions ran through Nickolai’s head as he stared at the seven-headed monster hovering above the labyrinth.
The seven-headed monster looked at the expedition team below for a moment. It snorted, as though saying that mere insects did not interest it in the slightest.
It flapped its wings, creating gusts of wind, then flew toward the east, eventually disappearing from sight.
VOLUME 6: CHAPTER 11
Despite the giant statue it was carrying on its back, the Scylla flew through the sky at a frightening speed. It flew above the clouds, at a distance where the humans could not see it.
“Is it really fine to leave those humans alone?” said the first head. “We can still turn back and annihilate them. It’s clear that they’re after your treasure, God Evander.”
Before leaving the Forbidden Region, they had seen over a hundred people near the labyrinth’s entrance. They were definitely the mercenaries and magicians Nickolai had gathered for his expedition. Unfortunately for them, Lark had already taken all the treasures away.
“No, it’s fine,” said Lark. “We’ve already taken everything anyway.
There’s no need to shed more blood.”
The first head said, “As you wish.”
“God Evander, isn’t it uncomfortable?” said the sixth head.
A dome-shaped barrier was currently surrounding Lark, preventing the winter wind from hitting his body.
He looked at the sixth head quizzically. “Uncomfortable?”
“Yes, God. My head is a lot softer, you see. I believe it’ll be more comfortable if you rode on top of me.”
Hearing the sixth head’s remark, the first head—the one Lark was sitting on—hissed indignantly. “This scheming snake! What are you saying to God Evander! Stop spouting nonsense! My head is definitely softer than everyone else here! That’s why he chose me! That’s why he chose to ride on top of me!”
The other heads snorted. The sixth head gave a mocking laugh.
“Hey, isn’t it about time we switch places?” the fifth head hissed unhappily.
“I agree! Why are you monopolizing God Evander in the first place?” the seventh head snarled.
Lark had been sitting on top of the first head for more than an hour and this brought forth pangs of jealousy among the rest of the Scylla’s heads. It was amazing how some of them even started threatening to rip the first head into shreds.
“Everyone, lower your voices,” said the third head. “Don’t you see that you’re making God Evander uncomfortable?”
The bickering heads immediately shut their mouths upon hearing those words. Although the other heads were clearly frustrated, they no longer shot menacing glares at the first head. The threats and curses thrown at the first head stopped too.
Lark smiled wryly. He started wondering if he should have sat on top of the body, right next to the statue, instead.
“It’ll take us several more hours before we arrive at Blackstone Town,” said Lark. “So, how about this—I’ll alternate between the seven of you during that time.”
