Chapter 391: Allies Awaken.

Chapter 391: Allies Awaken.

A few moments before the automated defenses were triggered, Roland navigated his way through the underground workshop. Utilizing his mapping device, he pinpointed the exact locations where each of the guests had fallen unconscious. As he expected, they had all been affected by the relic, rendering them unconscious.

To rouse them from this dreamlike state, he needed to approach them and place his helmet over their heads. Only by aligning the wake-up signal to their mana wavelength could the device effectively work. While his runic sensors could do a lot of things, he needed to get closer for them to analyze their mana patterns.

'I don't have much time. I need to choose wisely...'

There wasn't sufficient time to awaken every individual who had fallen unconscious. Among those affected were non-combatants like Solana and the other girls from the adventurer guild who had been invited by Elodia. Even if he roused them, they wouldn't be able to assist in the impending battle. His initial targets had to be individuals capable of confronting the cultists and stalling for time, allowing him to wake up more people.

‘There aren’t many that I can choose from but the first one should be...’

After taking into account everyone’s usefulness and also how fast he could wake them up, Roland made a quick decision to go for his most trusted ally, Agni with the one after him being the guild master. His trusted canine companion could be easily controlled and wouldn’t ask any pesky questions. Agni’s mana pattern was also something that he knew by heart and even without the helmet’s aid, it wouldn’t be hard to rouse him from the sleep.

“So now it starts...”

He stood at the entrance to the main elevator, which had been occupied by runic golems that were on their way up. Meanwhile, the defenses at the walls were activated. Roland used his helmet to display what the exterior turrets were observing. They had been enhanced with superior golemic eyes, providing him with a clearer view of the situation. The first thing that caught his attention was a peculiar pale elf, whose visage reminded him of someone he had encountered many years ago.

‘It is really the abyssal cultists... but why would that woman be here?’

The woman boldly charged into the enhanced mana blasts, effortlessly deflecting them with the aid of a pair of dark blades. As he gazed at the design of those blades, Roland felt a stirring in his shoulder, a reminder of the spot where one of those daggers had struck him in the past. Behind the woman was another individual he remembered, an entity that appeared to be more abomination than man.

He had first encountered these two in Edelgard, and now, for some reason, they stood before his doorstep. Roland couldn't help but wonder if it was just a coincidence or if the two had tracked him all the way here. However, considering that this discovery had only unfolded after the incident with the large obelisk, he began to suspect that there was more to the situation. One thing was certain: if those two managed to remember his face, they would likely connect him to the previous encounter. They could deduce that he was responsible for the failure of their relics and might attempt to extract his secrets. They could resort to serious torture or potentially infect him with abyssal leeches to coax the truth from him in a different manner. To prevent becoming a thrall of the abyssal cult, he had to eliminate every single one of them now.

If they managed to return to their cult with this information, they would never stop coming, his life as he knew it now would be over. He did his research on the cultists and knew some of the stories. They would never relent, they would not leave anyone that he was related to alone. Elodia his wife would be in danger, and even his old noble family that he wished to leave would probably be targeted. While he didn’t like them too much, having Robert and the rest be hunted down like dogs was not one of his plans.

‘I was young back then and they also can’t see my face, it should be fine...’

Fortunately, he was now clad in a bulky suit of armor that concealed his entire body. His voice had also deepened with age, and he had abandoned his former name, adopting the identity of Knight Commander Wayland. The only potential giveaway of his true identity was his mana pattern, which these individuals likely didn't recall. In theory, he should be safe, but it was still best to eliminate the threat that had arrived at his doorstep. He had no intention of letting anyone walk out of here alive.

The plan began to unfold. While the cultists were preoccupied battling the enhanced runic turrets and the swarm of golemic spiders, he stealthily made his way above ground. Ignoring the blue magical explosions in the vicinity, the scene seemed strangely tranquil. People were lying on the ground, sleeping peacefully. Without making a sound, he headed toward Agni, who was housed in the large stable near his own home. Inside, he found his wolf slobbering all over the floor, with his face buried in a monster steak.

“Common, wake up...’

His wolf was quickly roused to sleep after a few jolts to his head. Even without putting on the helmet, Roland had analyzed the schematics long enough to produce this effect. Agni’s eyes started to slowly open up but he was still in a daze. Only after a few proper smacks to the face did he realize that something was not right here.

“You were in an illusion Agni, I don’t have much time to explain but our home is being attacked and I need you to help me protect it, can you do that for me?”

“Awoo?”

Agni, the large ruby wolf, shook his head in response to Roland's words. He was a highly intelligent creature and quickly grasped the situation. The echoing of explosions and shouts from the cultists, along with the appearance of undead creatures, was also a clear indication that something was amiss. In an instant, Agni was on his feet, ready to confront the threat, his growling confirming his readiness for action.

“Good, don’t hold back, use your true form but keep your distance, make them focus on you while I wake up the others, do you understand?”

“Woof!”

“I knew that I could count on you.”

Agni, the ruby wolf, wasted no time, and his appearance began to shift. The red gems that made up his mane were gradually replaced by fiery flames. While his body size remained the same, the radiant transformation was impossible to miss. As the fiery wolf emerged from his doghouse, he soared into the sky, ready to heed his master's commands. The blazing aura surrounding him would surely catch the attention of the undead creatures and their controller.

‘Good, next up, the Guild Master.’

While Agni was his most trusted companion here, Aurdhan was still the most powerful adventurer around. Without his strength, they would be at a significant disadvantage. Roland moved with haste, leaving the stable behind and making his way toward the main gathering area where the unconscious adventurers had fallen.

The magical explosions and clashes of power were growing more intense as he moved closer to the sleeping adventurers. He spotted Aurdhan, the Guild Master, among them. Next to him was a sleeping Grisalde who had collapsed into the man’s lap. All of them were in the middle of getting drunk before being affected by the abyssal magic.

Focusing on the man's large, bald head, Roland realized it would take some effort to fit his extra helmet over it. He pushed the helmet onto Aurdhan's head, causing it to bend out of shape. Only after dousing it with some nearby oil was he finally able to push it into place. Aurdhan was not only an influential figure in the guild but also in the whole city. His status prompted Roland to analyze his mana pattern earlier and made the treatment go by rather fast.

Lobelia asked with a furrowed brow as she took in the chaos that had erupted around her. The radiant wolf above them along with the shroud of darkness and the Guild Master chasing an elven assassin was hard to miss.

"We're under attack by the abyssal cultists"

Roland quickly explained while quickly moving in the direction where Mary and Arthur had passed out.

"My golems and turrets won’t hold them for much longer. I need you and Armand to protect the guests that are still passed out.”

Lobelia processed the situation, and her features hardened with determination. She was a skilled archer, and she knew the danger the cultists posed. She quickly grabbed her new bow along with the arrows that were nearby and notched them into it. "Armand, get your ass moving. We have a battle to fight!”

Lobelia said, her tone resolute as she started her half-dressed brother down. Armand was still groggy from the lingering effects of the abyssal illusion, but thanks to her words he made a full recovery. Luckily he didn’t require any armor to begin with, so after grabbing his harness and gauntlets he was ready to engage anyone.

"Alright! Let's show these cultists what real adventurers are made of!"

As the two charged towards the source of the commotion, he focused on Arthur and Mary. They were also on his list, but he wasn't certain if they would offer any assistance. Mary, the maid, would be a formidable ally, but her primary duty was to protect Arthur, the lord to whom she had pledged her loyalty. Nevertheless, it was still preferable if they managed to escape, as if this incident resulted in the death of a Valerian noble, his position as Knight Commander would be in jeopardy. It wasn't uncommon for Knights to be held accountable for the demise of their lords, a transgression that could even carry the penalty of death.

Time was running out, and he could see the dots representing his golems vanishing. One of his multiple minds was devoted to directing his small army of golems to hold back his adversaries, but the limit was nearly reached. With urgency, he activated hastening buffs on his armor, enabling him to appear beside Mary and Arthur. Luck was also in his favor as Bernir was nearby. Soon, the trio began to awake their vision blurry and their minds tired.

His luck had finally run out. With the awakening of these three, the floodgates burst open, and one of the walls crumbled. Through the breach, a sizable horde of undead monsters began to pour in, with an enraged-looking Necromancer leading them. His status screen was swiftly revealed and showed that he was a formidable foe that couldn’t be ignored.

Name :

Kovak L 235

Classes

T3 Abyssal Necromancer L 85

T2 Undead Summoner L 50

T2 Corrupted Mage L 50

T1 Fallen Acolyte L 25

T1 Mage L 25

Nonetheless, Roland's attention fixated on someone who was gradually advancing from behind the Necromancer. The figure was distorted, and the enormous eyeball jutting from the man's shoulder was impossible to overlook. It was the shapeshifting Warlock he had encountered long ago, and now he could even discern the information on his status screen, which the Warlock didn't appear to be concealing.

Name :

Ozrelak L 281

Classes

T3 Eldritch Warlock L 31

T3 Abyssal Warlock L 100

T2 Abyssal Shifter L 50

T2 Thaumaturge L 50

T1 Ritualist L 25

T1 Mage L 25

‘I guess that guy is the strongest of them, his level is higher than the Guild Master’s, this doesn’t look good...’

Finally, the fight had been taken into his home. The undead monsters were pushing forward with rage in their eyes but this was his home and it would not be easily taken by the likes of them...