Orcules was a group of famous criminals who rebelled against the emperor. Although no more than a few decades old, this group had gained notoriety by committing numerous crimes and acts of terrorism in that time. The palace had placed huge bounties and launched a hunt, but until now it had only been able to eliminate seven of them due to their stealthy movements.
«And there are seven of them here, huh?». Hearing his subordinate's report, Third Royal Guard chief Marco Elbern could not hide his moan.
As soon as the incident occurred, he had responded promptly and formed a safe zone in the central region to declare a state of war and take command. The first thing Marco did was gather information. He sent a search party towards the second floor portal, which could be crossed at any time. Without sleeping, he confirmed again and again the information he had been given.
As a result, seven members of Orcules were captured. Three prowled the safe area committing massacres, the Wailing Witch, the Black Claw and the Lighthouse Keeper, and the other four blocked the second floor portals.
So this was his goal from the beginning.
Elbern clenched his fists to show his frustration. The first three were also a problem, but these four were the biggest pitfalls. The Corpse Collector, especially for being an evil spirit, was a man infamous for his grotesque and brutal acts. The Fallen Scholar, once headmaster of a large school, had become a criminal after manipulating forbidden magic. The Blood Knight began as a soldier born in Bifron and gained fame for killing the head of the First Royal Guard.
And finally... Traitor.
The man who gathered those crazy bastards to create the group known as Orcules had alone created a history of countless infamies and massacres. The four representatives of that group were here, but they didn't just have to be careful with Hercules. The number of renowned criminals who had escaped to Noark was countless. With all of them together, they could not guarantee victory even with all their strength.
Finally, after a long silence, Elbern opened his mouth. «I cancel the plan to penetrate the bastards and reach the second floor». The silence added to those words began to weigh in the room.
A gentleman spoke with difficulty. «...The third day will start soon».
«I am aware. But as long as the Fallen Scholar is also here, it is very likely that the portal will be useless anyway.»
«So...»
Elbern blinked slowly as if to shake his thoughts. A commander must make decisions. «Gather wizards who can use portal magic as stealthily as possible».
He had to make the necessary decisions, no matter what sacrifices followed.
***
I opened my eyes and looked at the time: 12:17 in the morning. Another day had passed before I knew it and it was already the third day.
Yesterday had had no significant events. I checked the loot we had obtained on the way here, located a scout with repair-related skills and fixed some broken equipment, stood guard as a team on our shift, and as soon as the guard was over, I toured the neighborhood and gathered information. I also found out what happened to Takelan.
«...¿Esa perrrsona?»
It was difficult for me to take it from Missha, but when I heard it, it wasn't that big of a deal. Apparently, he went crazy and lost his sanity for a moment. Seeing us all alive, he blurted out aggressive words, but it didn't last long.
«Aruru» was no joke. He shouted saying, how could he say that when you walked away in the state you were in... Geez, it even made me sweat».
Hmm, he was pretty fierce when he got angry. It was still a mystery how such vigor emerged from that small body.
«Anyway, that's all. Ainar also became angry, but disappeared before she could draw her sword.»
I appreciated my colleagues' actions on my behalf, but the more I heard what happened, the more my jaw tensed. These guys didn't know that I had purposely placed them in the rear to minimally increase our chances of survival.
«Hey? Why do you make that face?»
«It's nothing. I'm just hungry».
Takelan's anger was justified. If the training was done with efficiency alone in mind, more people could have survived, but I didn't do that. Although they could have been better in the rear, I placed them where it was relatively safer, behind me. Takelan must have realized it late, that's why he behaved like that.
It's probably best to keep this to myself.
After a moment to wake up from sleep, I slowly got up and organized my sleeping bag. Although it had been quite busy, the second day was much calmer compared to the intense first day. But that was over now.
«Mm, Mr. Yandel...?» Raven woke up to the sound and poked her head out while rubbing her eyes.
«Have I woken you up? Sorry».
«No, I just couldn't sleep...».
«Are you not sleeping anymore?»
At my question, Raven took her upper body out of the sleeping bag and sat down. «And you? You do not sleep anymore?»
«I can't sleep either».
«Why am I only a single guard?».
I smiled satisfied and admitted it willingly. It was funny to say the opposite when we were in the same situation. «It's already the third day...»
On the third day, the Lord of the Floor was summoned if five or more people gathered. Of course, that had a certain probability. Since there were already 10,000 scouts gathered on the first floor, the chance of him being summoned before us was low, but...
you never know.
I was the tank of this team. Even if the Ground Lord fell before our eyes, it could make time for my companions to escape.
¡Wooooom!
At this moment the ground trembled weakly and the achromatic crystals embedded in the walls of the cave emitted a bright light. The color of the glow was blood red.
«Mr. Yandel, this is...!»
It meant that the Soil Lord had appeared somewhere.
«W-What is it?!» Starting with Ainar, the rest of my companions woke up one by one. The same thing happened with the other groups of explorers who slept nearby.
I calmed my companions. «Don't be too surprised. Luckily, I don't think it was summoned nearby».
Where the Lord of the First Floor was, there had to be a loud sound. Since there was no such sound, it was safe to say that it had appeared somewhere far away.
«Volved everyone to sleep».
«But...»
«I'll wake you up if something happens. It wasn't long ago that our guard ended».
«But you're tired too.»
«I fell asleep a little then, so I'm fine».
I wasn't sure they could sleep right away, but I forced my companions to go back to their sleeping bags and close their eyes, judging that regaining their stamina was the top priority.
Whooooom...
About twenty minutes later, as if the battery had run out, the glass illuminating the surroundings darkened. It meant that the Soil Lord had been eliminated. Of course, it was still too early to feel relieved. Unlike the lords on the upper floors, who took months or years to reappear, this type could be summoned many times.
«We'll be fine, right...?»
«Don't worry. Thirty suitable scouts can catch the Lord of the First Floor. In the current situation, wherever it appears, it will be dealt with quickly».
In fact, this was also the biggest reason why I wanted to enter that horrible path to join the palace forces. Here we would be safe from the Lord of the Soil. Even if it appeared right under our noses, support would come if it could only resist.
«Then I'll leave this place to you.»
«Where are you going?»
«To obtain some information.»
«Then I'll go to...»
«It's a waste of personnel. If you really can't sleep, stand guard next to them.»
As soon as the Soil Lord was defeated, I left our assigned area and headed to the central region. The Soil Lord's respawn time was six hours. In the meantime, I was going to take a look to see if there was anything unusual, because there was nothing else to do.
[North 172-21]
As he advanced using the markings drawn on the walls by the imperial troops, he also kept a listening ear to the conversations of the surrounding explorers.
«Hey, have you heard? I heard it was the south passage».
«Do you mean where the Lord of the Soil came from?».
«Yes, I heard that about twenty people died when support came».
«Damn, I'd rather the underground bastards come out».
They were scout conversations in a similar situation to mine, so they weren't very reliable, but I couldn't just ignore them either. Even so, it was more than useful to know public opinion.
«I don't know how much longer we'll have to stay here».
«I know. In the last speech, they said that they would soon open the way to the second floor portal. It's already the third day».
«It makes me nervous that they are so quiet».
As expected, the scouts showed distrust towards the management, which had not announced anything from day one. The same thing happened to me too.
They should make a decision soon...
If you calculated that the Lord of the Floor died every six hours, a total of eight Lords would die in two days. That meant that, on the fifth day, that thing would definitely appear.
With a large clan and even the head of the guards here it is impossible that they did not know...
But why wasn't there action yet? I was crazy curious about the conversation that was going on at the meeting that took place the day I got here.
They should also know that's what Noark is looking for... But why are they holding on?
He believed for sure that they would choose to lead the way somewhere and advance to the second floor.
Walk walk.
The more my worries increased, the more the speed of my walking increased. Then a familiar face appeared, the guy who first discovered the backpack copying bug and spread it widely among the tribe.
«Kharon...?»
«Bjorn, great warrior and son of Yandel!» When I first recognized him and spoke to him, Kharon immediately stood up and ran towards me fiercely. «Find you here! Unsurprisingly, you are destined to lead us!»
I was a little taken aback, but I accepted the barbaric-style greeting, since I was also happy to see him. I asked him why he was curious. «But who are those next to you?».
«The warriors I met here!».
«Did you meet them here?»
I couldn't understand this at all. The barbara backpack copy error was blocked a long time ago. That the method was widely spread among explorers was a factor, but the most important factor was that the lower level explorers were sold out after the magical ID tag device was created, as it cost 70,000 stones to get a tag. That's why I heard Kharon joined a third floor team not long ago.
«What happened to your team?»
«Oh, they died on the way here! So the soldiers introduced me to abandoned warriors like me!»
Damn bastard soldiers. A group of five barbarian warriors... It was obvious that they had been brought together out of annoyance.
«I-You're really Little Balkan! It is an honor to meet you. I, I am Devan, Verox's second son!»
«Oh, hello. Nice to meet you too». Greeting the barbarians who were excited to hear my name, I continued the conversation with Kharon. Maybe if I had never seen him here... but I couldn't leave him now that I had. «Why don't you join us instead of staying here?»
«Okay?»
The identification tags and equipment they carried were enough to know that they were active warriors on floor three or higher. Having them with me would be a great help. And most importantly, he could trust them.
«Of course you can». I told Kharon, who greatly appreciated it, which area our team was assigned to. «I'll let the administrative officer know along the way, so you can head there first. If you see a magician, be polite and say that I will send you».
«Okay!»
«Oh, if you don't know where to go, ask nearby explorers. If you scream and wake them up, they will tell you, even if it is annoying».
«¡Ooh! ¡Ya veo!»
I sent Kharon's group and was about to leave when I stopped upon hearing a man's deep voice. «Bjorn Yandel.»
When I turned around, I saw a person I didn't want to meet. «Takelan Arvenon». He was among the explorers I had never seen before. That was a fact. He lost all his comrades on the way here.
In the silence, Takelan watched me. His trembling chin showed that he was holding something back with great difficulty.
I asked him first. «I found out what happened while I was away. Are you resentful of me?»
Takelan didn't nod or shake his head, he just stood there as if holding on. It took him a long time to respond. «No, I don't resent you». It was an unexpected response. Takelan opened his mouth slowly as if he wanted to let out his emotions. «I couldn't stop thinking about it, because it was the only thing I could do. Why have I become like this? Lena is dead, but how can you smile and laugh? If those bastards hadn't run away in the middle, maybe Lena could have lived. No, above all... Did you really not know it would end like this?»
«So, did you come to a conclusion?»
«I don't know. In fact, you are the most harmed. And you're the one who had the hardest job. And it wasn't a situation where you could guarantee that your companions would survive».
Was there such a thing as a guaranteed situation? I only did my best to increase our chances of survival, even a little. That's why I felt like a sharp knife was scraping something inside me.
«I shouldn't have followed you. However», Takelan continued, «it was I who chose to follow you. I, who also voted for you as leader. I watched silently when that woman said they would use teleportation magic...! Was me».
Watching him direct all the blame at himself with self-hatred, an indescribably difficult feeling came over me.
«So I don't hold a grudge against you».
«...Ya veo.»
What could I say in this situation? He couldn't even utter clumsy words of comfort. But was my hesitation fulfilled?
«Don't pity me». Takelan ended the conversation there and sat down again. «There will come a day when you feel the same as me».
His eyes were no longer directed at me, only at the ground. I sensed that all the words we would exchange were over.
Walk walk.
So I continued on my way again. Takelan didn't stop me from talking to me again. How much time passed? The passageway widened and an enlarged central cavity appeared. I first located an administrator and let him know that Kharon's group had joined us.
«Team Apple Narak... Oh, they're in a passage outside the Northern District. Well, it's confirmed».
That ended my business, but just as I was about to turn around, a gentleman coming out of the barracks turned to the administrative officer who had helped me and looked towards me.
Murmullo, murmullo.
He appointed a total of six schools.
«Oh yeah. A magician from that school? Let me check the list first».
The priests were not enough, now they are trying to recruit magicians?
That was my initial thought, but as I reflected on the names of the schools the gentleman mentioned, I found one thing in common.
«Derta, Sperys, Jacquard...»
Magia de portal.
Wizards from those schools above rank 4 were capable of opening a portal that could carry up to thirty people. The moment I realized this fact, my heart beat uncontrollably.
Hit!
A conversation I had not long ago crossed my mind. Denying it made no sense.
«A great commander is not someone who makes the perfect decisions. He is someone who takes what is necessary».
That man discarded without hesitation what he considered a low priority. All.