Lumi permitted himself a small smile as another Flaming Stone Golem crumbled. Everything was proceeding perfectly. He'd specifically chosen this location, knowing exactly whose hidden laboratory lay beneath their feet.
Afton S. Crow. The Puppeteer. Future Wildcard in the Wings of Darkness. Currently, just an ambitious fool with delusions of grandeur, a secret lab full of illegal experiments, and simping STRONGLY for a girl called Twilight. He'd end up gaining power later, however, and going completely rogue.
All for his love... allegedly.
In the previous timeline, Afton would have captured and modified these golems, creating a powerful batch of offputting monsters. Enhanced, though with a strange expression on their face, and overall just creepy. Since Afton blended them into native monster populations, they were initially just regarded as a strange variant.
This seemingly useless endeavor was actually part of one of the most sinister plans imaginable. These puppets would form an information network, gathering information that no normal person would have access to. The state of countless monster groups, tribes, migration patterns, the habits of creatures of great power, and most importantly, powerful artifacts.
This entire network was an order from one of his superiors, Beryllium. Yet, even all that information was not the most important part. The primary purpose of the puppets he himself was making was to find Will Stones. To Lumi, it was completely unacceptable for the Wings of Darkness to obtain that.
It was one of the many things which contributed to the demise of good and the subsequent end of the world.
After all, the Will Stones were artifacts created by one of the Ancient Heroes. Though not by Alton, ancient hero of light. These were created by the Ancient Hero, Phoenix Master Henry.
The Ancient Heroes…
Lumi fell deep into thought. This had been another area of deep, deep thought for him.
If the six Ancient Heroes were still around, the world would be in much better hands. After all, it was these six heroes who originally defeated and sealed away the Dark One.
But they are the Ancient Heroes for a reason. None of them are still around.
Interestingly enough, a few of them returned. The issue is that Lumi had no idea how he would speed this process up. Powerful as Merath was, he was stuck unable to leave Elenora at the moment. And he had no direct subordinates he could order around to take dangerous uncertain missions.
He had gained Merath's trust to an extent, but it was not enough for him to use his own connections to go on missions for which Lumi could provide no evidence about whatsoever.
If only it was something I can interfere with. These aren't things I can do at level 19. Not solo, not without help. I'm not even sure on the specifics. But even if I did release them earlier, wouldn't they just be a bit stronger?
…Isn't that a big change?
Well, regardless, I can't do that now. I can think of it later.
Regardless, the Wings of Darkness obtaining Will Stones?
Not this time.
"Light Shower!" Lumi's spell carved through another golem, denying Afton one more test subject.
[Level Up! 19 → 20]
"Twenty!" Lena cheered, appearing beside him. "We're real adventurers now! Fear our adequacy! We have power! And THEY don't like that we have power! Some people should be afraid, they should be afraid of me and the power I hold!"
The party continued their relentless grind. Hours passed in a blur. Their levels climbed steadily:
Lumi: 20
Lena: 20
Ryan: 16
ToraX: 16
VICE: 15
HazyNova: 16
Finally, HazyNova spoke up during a brief respite. "Guys, it's getting late. I only have an your left."
"Same." Ryan added, checking the time. "This has been incredible, thank you Lumi."
"Say," ToraX turned to Lumi. "Wasn't there something else you called us here for?"
Perfect timing. Lumi cleared his throat. "Alright everyone, gather up. Before we go, I want to thank you all. This has been incredibly productive." He lightly spoke, and used the system to DM some messages to his party.
Lumi: "Just go with what I'm doing, make a big show of how we're leaving."
After making sure they read, he started his performance.
He raised his voice slightly, speaking more theatrically than necessary. "I think we've COMPLETELY EXHAUSTED this area! There's NOTHING LEFT here worth our time! We should NEVER COME BACK!"
The party exchanged confused glances, but they quickly understood this is the message referred to. Lena caught on immediately, however.
"Oh yes!" she exclaimed loudly. "I am SATISFIED with our golem murder! My bloodlust is COMPLETELY SATED! No more mass murder, hahahaha! I will NEVER need to kill golems again!"
Ryan, catching the theatrical tone if not the purpose, added. "Right! This place is TOTALLY CLEARED OUT! No point in EVER RETURNING!"
"WASTE OF TIME to come back!" ToraX boomed.
"ABSOLUTELY NOTHING OF VALUE remains!" VICE declared.
"We should LEAVE IMMEDIATELY and NEVER RETURN!" HazyNova finished, trying not to laugh.
They made a big show of gathering their things and departing, heading back toward the main path with exaggerated finality.
Once they were out of sight of the area, Lumi held up a hand. "Actually, follow me. Quietly."
He led them to a concealed position behind a cluster of fallen pillars, close enough to watch the area they'd just left but hidden from view.
"Uh, Lumi?" VICE whispered. "What are we doing?"
"Shh. Wait. Twenty minutes."
"Are we... hiding?" Ryan asked.
"Think of it as a surprise party." Lena giggled quietly. "Except instead of cake, there's violence!" She turned to Lumi. "Right? Right? That's what's happening, right?"
Lumi nodded. "We're jumping someone."
"Ah." Ryan nodded, "A quest. I knew it. I knew there was something more to you bringing us here than grinding. You did hint at it."
"Don't kill him," Lumi started, "But aim to kill. He won't die anyways."
"How do you figure?" HazyNova lightly inquired.
"He's really high level."
"Oh."
They waited in silence, the party growing increasingly excited for what is to come. The 'jumping'. After exactly twelve minutes, movement caught their eye.
A section of solid ground shifted, revealing a hidden trapdoor. A figure emerged. He was skinny, pale, with unkempt dark hair.
[???: Level - ???]
He looked around frantically, muttering to himself. "Finally! Those psychopaths are gone! Now I can-"
"NOW!" Lumi shouted.
The party burst from cover. Afton S. Crow had exactly enough time to register six figures charging at him before Ryan's shield bash sent him sprawling to the floor.
"WHAT?! NO! HELP!" Afton scrambled backward, hands reaching for his puppet control mechanisms. "MY PUPPETS! I NEED-"
"Arrow Blow!" VICE's arrows struck Afton. Though it barely hurt him due to the level difference, the recoil interrupted Afton's attempts to get up.
"GET HIM!" Lena screeched with glee, teleporting directly above him. "Energy Bolt!"
"They're jumping me!" Afton screamed desperately. "THEY'RE JUMPING ME! SOMEONE HELP!"
HazyNova appeared behind him, daggers stabbing into his throat, though they barely moved in. "And to think I was scared when I saw your…" Something didn't let him speak the words he wanted. "I guess I can't say that word to you. Ahem, when I saw your power was a mystery. To think you're so pathetic."
"Leap attack!" ToraX's jumped high in the air and used his power to crash down rapidly, his polearm slicing a bit into Afton's back.
"I'M BEING MUGGED!" Afton wailed. "NOOOOOO! AHHHHHHH! BUT WHY!? THIS IS ILLEGAL! I LIVE HERE! THIS IS MY HOME! HELP! HEEEEELP!"
"Light Shower!" Lumi's cast his spell through Afton, piercing through his entire body. Lumi gave a light grin, but to Afton it looked like the smile of a devil. "Stop moving."
Lumi cracked his knuckles, glaring down at Afton. "Hehe…"
Internally, however, Lumi's thoughts weren't so confident.
That was easier than I thought. Am I being too overconfident? It's true that Afton is a fool, unprepared, unarmed, a coward…
But he's also Level 71. That's why he's still okay after so many attacks. And that makes him dangerous. If he wasn't an idiot he could turn the tables right now.
Level 71…
He won't die with a few more attacks!
"Light Shower!" "Light Shower!" "Light Shower!"
The mighty Puppeteer, future terror of the Wings of Darkness, lay in the dirt being systematically beaten by a party fifty levels below him. Without his puppets, without his preparations, he was just some childish skinny guy with delusions of grandeur and a very bad day.
"Please!" Afton whimpered. "I'm just a researcher! I study golems! I'm innocent!"
"Sure you are." Lumi said, still casting Light Showers on him. "That's why you have a secret underground lab."
"It's... it's for academic purposes!"
"Academic purposes." HazyNova repeated flatly. "In a hidden bunker. Under a golem ruin."
"I'm a golem researcher?"
Lena crouched next to his head, grinning maniacally. "You know what? I believe him! He seems trustworthy! Should we let him go?"
"No." everyone else said in unison.
"That's what I thought, hehe. Can I at least poke him with my wand? Lumi…?" Lena put her hand on Afton's forehead, asking for permission.
Lumi gave her a thumbs up. "Go ahead!"
"Energy Bolt! Energy Bolt! Energy Bolt! Energy Bolt! Energy Bolt! Energy Bolt!" Lena stepped back in glee, looking down with amazement, "Woooow… he's fine! Just a few burns, maybe his head is weird now though."
"They're assaulting me!" Afton made one last desperate plea to the empty ruins. "SOMEBODY! ANYBODY! THEY'RE JUMPING ME IN BROAD- wait, it's nighttime- THEY'RE JUMPING ME IN BROAD MOONLIGHT!"
The 'mighty' Puppeteer's cries echoed through the ruins, unheard by anyone who might care.