madnovel Chapter 179 : Nabrash (3)
Chapter 179 : Nabrash (3)
Chapter 179: Nabrash (3)
Stay calm.
He had not come in without preparing himself for unexpected situations.
Even if he could not see ahead, his hearing was sharp.
Yet the fact that he could not hear anything at all meant there was a high possibility it was magic.
Because demonic energy was slowly seeping up from below.
“Swish.”
After taking a deep breath, he entered the hole.
Carefully climbing down along the wall, he soon reached the bottom.
“You’re down.”
“Aelin! I called you—why didn’t you answer?”
Fortunately, Aelin was unharmed.
“I called several times too. Maybe the sounds from outside are being cut off.”
A space where communication with the outside was blocked.
That alone was suspicious enough.
“There must be something they can’t afford to let be discovered.”
“We came to the right place.”
The reason they had not headed toward Drake’s bedroom and instead taken a side path was simple.
Wouldn’t there be something more in a place that looked suspicious? In a situation where no one could be trusted, he had to secure his own share.
“The wind’s coming from over there. We’re going, right?”
“Of course.”
“I figured you’d say that, so I already got a grasp of the structure. Follow me.”
Aelin took Robin’s hand and led the way.
Even with limited visibility, they could move by relying on their other senses.
He tried to pull his hand away, saying he would be fine, but she answered firmly.
“There might be traps.”
“Then you can just point them out.”
“In a place this dark, even I can’t find them all.”
It meant they should be careful because it could be dangerous.
Seeing her take the initiative like that stirred a sense of camaraderie in him.
“Then I’ll take the lead.”
Aelin was also a trained archer, but if an attack suddenly came flying at them, it would be better for Robin to respond.
He said it with that judgment in mind, but Aelin tightened her grip instead.
“Aelin?”
“Just listen to me.”
“If it’s a trap you can’t detect, then we’ll get hit anyway. In that case, it’s better if I take it first.”
“Geez…! I said let’s just go like this!”
He had spoken out of consideration, so he could not understand why she was rejecting it.
“Now that no light will leak outside, should we at least light a candle?”
“Hmm….”
He was about to reach into his pocket, but Aelin stopped him.
“Ah, seriously! Do you hate me?”
“What are you talking about?”
“I’m asking if you hate holding my hand that much!”
The unexpected remark left him momentarily speechless.
What did that have to do with anything right now?
“While we’re at it, let me ask. What’s going on between you and Serena?”
“We’re companions. Companions heading to the Demon Realm together.”
“That’s all? You’re sure?”
“What, do you think we’re lovers or something?”
“R-Right?”
“Did you eat something weird? What’s wrong with you?”
Aelin let out a breath as if reassured.
“Then that’s fine.”
“If you have something to say, then say it. Don’t keep it all to yourself.”
“It’s just….”
It seemed she really did have something she wanted to say.
Just as he was thinking he should listen carefully and reflect it as best he could,
Aelin suddenly stopped walking.
He understood why without her having to say it.
“A cave?”
His voice echoed along the walls.
The path ahead, which had been shrouded in darkness, revealed itself under a faint glow.
At the end of the passage leading beneath the mansion was a wide cavern.
“Robin, I think that demonic energy you mentioned is that.”
Now even Aelin could sense the demonic energy flowing out.
It was still faint, but the deeper they went, the thicker it would become.
Aelin released Robin’s hand and nocked an arrow to the bowstring.
It was not the time to dawdle but to stay alert.
As they cautiously moved inward, Aelin let out a groan.
“Ugh….”
“What’s wrong?”
“My head… it feels like it’s going to split open.”
Had a trap been triggered?
They moved away from the cave, and she took a few deep breaths.
But it did not calm her, and Aelin continued to complain of a headache.
Eventually, she even removed her helmet and clutched her head.
“Hngh… ugh….”
“Aelin! Just wait a moment!”
He hastily took out a potion and offered it to her, but she did not accept it.
He considered forcing it on her, but stopped when he saw the ferocity in her eyes.
This was not the usual Aelin.
Should he burn herbs instead and make her inhale the scent?
Five minutes passed in confusion at this unfamiliar sight.
At last, Aelin gradually returned to normal.
“Are you okay now?”
“Yeah… I feel a lot better.”
In that brief time, she had broken out in so much cold sweat that her hair clung to her face.
After drinking a few mouthfuls of water, she was able to explain what had happened.
“At first, it was just a simple sense of déjà vu.”
When she had entered the underground before Robin,
She said she had felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity.
She had tried to brush it off, but it grew so strong that she wondered if she had come here before.
It was like someone was rummaging through her head without her knowing.
The reason she had held Robin’s hand and said those silly things was to shake off that unease.
“When I stood at the entrance of the cave. The memories came back. Like forcibly pouring water into a vessel beyond what I could contain.”
“What kind of memories?”
“Lady Elicia. She came here before.”
In a brief instant, the events that had taken place here passed by.
Fragmented pieces surfaced without order, yet they were as intense as a lantern parade before one’s eyes.
“You know that dungeon we found in the Safe Area. It’s similar to that.”
“The place filled with those strange writings?”
“Yes. It was a place made by a human, a dwarf, and an elf.”
In the memory Aelin saw, the three seemed close.
Sella, Taironi, Elicia.
As if they had fought a war, all three bore injuries, large and small.
Even so, they built something in the middle of the Burning Desert.
That something was the very cave before their eyes.
In other words, it was an artificially constructed facility.
“It’s a kind of memorial hall. A place meant to honor themselves and the companions who were with them.”
“But why…?”
“To preserve their achievements.”
Having traveled to the very end of the Uncharted Area, they had wanted their tale of adventure to be passed down to future generations.
More precisely, they did not want to be erased from this world.
It was not simply because they wanted to boast; there had been something desperate about it.
He wondered if it truly had to be built in the Uncharted Area, but that much he could not know.
“We have to go.”
“Understood. Let’s go outside. There’s no need to push yourself.”
“No, we have to enter the cave.”
Aelin glared at the cave with blazing eyes.
Though she was exhausted, the determination in her gaze was unmistakable.
Whatever was inside, she would eliminate it.
“This isn’t a place where the Demon Tribe should be running rampant.”
He could not know everything Aelin had seen in those memories born of splitting pain and resurfaced recollections.
But it was enough to become a turning point.
The atmosphere shifted slightly.
As if an innocent country girl had transformed into a noble lady of dignity.
Was it because she had taken off her helmet?
“Heh, get up.”
“What’s so funny?”
“It’s just… now that you’ve taken off your helmet, you really do look like an elf.”
“Hmmm?”
Seeing her hesitate, unsure whether it was a compliment or teasing, the charismatic air vanished.
“The helmet’s fine. I’ll deal with whatever’s inside anyway.”
“No witnesses, no problem. Something like that?”
“Exactly. It was suffocating, so this works out. And somehow, I feel like I can fight well.”
Aelin took the hand Robin extended and stood up.
She brushed back her sweat-soaked hair once and tilted her head.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes, Elf Noona.”
“What’s with ‘Elf Noona’? Are you teasing me for being older?”
From the outside, the two bickering showed no sign of tension at all.
It went without saying that all of it was to steel their resolve.
Having come this far, Robin agreed with Aelin.
There was a member of the Demon Tribe inside.
Not some small fry like a Demon Tribe Worshipper, but a true member of the Demon Tribe.
How could he be so certain?
“Just let those Demon Tribe bastards show themselves—I’ll pierce their hearts with an arrow.”
His reliable guide had told him.
The elf whose burdens had grown heavier than before.
Meanwhile, after Robin and Aelin infiltrated the mansion, the remaining two climbed onto the roof to carry out their assigned mission.
Lying flat, Sigbard hid his large frame surprisingly well.
“Serena, come over here and hide too.”
“I’ll just hide behind this.”
Serena created a bear-shaped figure out of earth atop the roof.
With most buildings bearing a color similar to earth, the statue naturally blended into its surroundings.
“So that was an option. Make one for me too.”
“No. If two are lined up next to each other, it’ll look strange.”
“Is that so? Then forget it.”
In truth, she was simply too lazy, but Sigbard nodded without complaint.
Satisfied that she had a good companion, Serena enlisted the surrounding spirits.
“Serena.”
“What.”
“Dexter is returning over there.”
Thirty minutes had passed since they began keeping watch.
Sigbard pointed toward the main gate.
“It’s too far. I can’t see clearly.”
“It’s certain. Trust my eyesight.”
“Hmm… it’s not time for him to return yet.”
She called upon the Wind Spirit, but it had not noticed Dexter approaching.
Even the most mischievous spirit had never refused a request before.
Except when she failed to give the promised Ether, such cases were extremely rare.
“There are unfamiliar ones with him.”
“Who?”
“One man, one woman. Dexter is attending to them with great care.”
Looking in the direction Sigbard indicated, they now came into Serena’s view as well.
A well-built man and a woman wearing a pointed hat reached the main gate.
She sent a spirit to Robin and kept her eyes on Dexter.
“So he really did betray us? It’s confusing since he didn’t bring his subordinates.”
“It is betrayal.”
“You’re certain?”
“You can tell by his eyes. Dexter is anxious.”
Anxiety and fear. And a slight hint of expectation.
Despite the considerable distance, Sigbard observed Dexter meticulously.
“Did you get a reply from Robin?”
“No.”
The news Serena received from the spirit was that it could not find Robin.
Contact had been cut off.
“If that’s the case, we’ll have to buy some time.”
“How?”
“I’ll throw a stone to the opposite side and divert their attention.”
Sigbard tore off the tail of the bear statue Serena had made and hurled it.
Whoosh! The stone vanished with the sound and struck its intended target precisely.
Crash!
The loud sound of something shattering beyond the window rang out, and just as intended, all eyes turned toward the source of the noise.
But as the mansion’s servants began moving about busily, they hurried along their path.
It bought them only a brief delay, yet vigilance had risen.
“This isn’t enough.”
“Do you have a better idea?”
“We need to make it explode big.”
Serena’s staff flashed for a moment, then quickly dimmed.
“Not yet?”
“This is troublesome.”
“What is it, Serena.”
“My spirit’s been taken.”
“What do you mean by that?”
The woman who had been walking alongside Dexter stopped.
Though they were still concealed, she stared precisely in their direction.
“They’ve found us.”
“So things have gone awry.”
Judging that there was no point in hiding any longer, just as Serena said,
Sigbard calmly accepted the situation and rose to his feet.
“Since it’s come to this, we’ll hold them off until Robin comes out.”
As he was about to descend from the roof, Serena tapped his back.
“I’m coming too.”
“Wouldn’t it be better to keep your distance?”
“I don’t think that’ll work.”
A Spirit Mage was vulnerable in close combat.
It would be better in many ways for her to remain here, but Serena was resolute.
“Understood.”
After hoisting Serena onto his back, he landed on the ground in a single leap.
When the two appeared, a look of dismay crossed Dexter’s face.
“Why are you here? Weren’t you supposed to enter the mansion?”
“It’s only natural someone stays behind to cover the rear. Why are you here instead? And who are those two?”
Sigbard pointed in turn at the pair standing behind Dexter.
Up close, the man was as large as Sigbard.
The woman stood with her arms crossed, staring at Serena.
“We spared you, and you repay us with betrayal. Pay the price, Dexter.”
As he thrust forward the hand gripping his rod, the observing man stepped in.
“To see a Barbarian here is a pleasant surprise.”
“Who are you. Step aside if you don’t want to get hurt.”
The man grasped the massive sword strapped to his back.
It was a monstrous blade, its width easily thirty centimeters.
“I am Drake.”
“So the ruler of this place.”
“That’s right. And I, too, am a Barbarian.”
Clang!
Drake, the ruler of District 7 of Nabrash.
In the blink of an eye, he lunged in front of Sigbard.
Sword and rod collided, locking them in a standoff.
“You there, black hair. You’re a Spirit Mage, right?”
“So what if I am.”
The woman in the pointed hat traced a circle toward Serena.
Flames followed her fingertip, and from them emerged a leopard formed of fire.
“Nice to meet you. I’m a Spirit Mage too.”
As the leopard lunged at Serena, Sigbard kicked it aside.
“It’s not wise to act leisurely with me standing in front of you.”
A middle kick struck Sigbard’s flank.
He barely blocked it, but the force behind it was considerable.
As he lost his balance, the greatsword came flying in with consecutive strikes.
“So what if you’re a Spirit Mage too. I’m not pleased to meet you.”
Slash.
A Wind Blade grazed Drake’s ear.
Forced to evade the sudden attack, Drake’s offensive faltered for a moment,
And he leapt back to avoid the rod Sigbard swung.
“I will join you as well, Lord Drake.”
“Dexter, find the rat hiding in the mansion.”
“By myself…?”
“Just locate them. I’ll finish this quickly and head over.”
“Understood.”
Sigbard and Serena tried to stop Dexter from entering the mansion, but the two before them would not allow it.
When the pointed-hat Spirit Mage struck the ground, a tall wall of earth rose up.
“My name is Isadora.”
“So what. I’m not curious.”
“You’re Serena, right?”
Isadora mounted the fire leopard.
She curved to the side, passing Sigbard, and targeted Serena.
“The Ether you possess. How about handing it over to me?”
“No.”
“Really? Then I suppose….”
Fwoosh.
Balls of flame flared up all around them.
Isadora stroked the leopard and smiled brightly.
“I’ll just take it by force.”
A two-versus-two standoff.
Seeing an opponent of the same kind for the first time in a long while, all four of them felt their competitive spirits rise.