Chapter 202: Underneath the Colossal Shadow

Chapter 202: Underneath the Colossal Shadow

I take Biscuit to Lily, who carefully heals him with a glimmer of mana, so others won't notice it. The process takes much longer than it could but thankfully, the wound isn't that serious.

(Nat, how can you just let them do this? Let's just fight them! We can do it easily!) Min-Jae shouts through the twins' skill.

A few people from two big guilds notice the link in between us, but they don't seem to care enough to stop us.

(Kim, use your head, okay? There are fifty of them. Even if we could defeat them all, what do you think would happen if we start fighting here, in the tunnels? How many of you do you think would die?) Tess responds to him.

Min-Jae immediately quiets down, and words from the girl he has a crush on probably sting even more.

(Two guild masters over 200, five people over 170, and another twenty or so around 150. Most of us aren't even at 100. Stay low, and once the expedition is over, we'll get stronger and have our revenge.) Hadwin supports Tess and also addresses Min-Jae.

His words are logical. We are severely outmatched, and even though we're treated as fodder, he hopes we'll survive. Hadwin thinks we can't handle that many humans with such high levels.

He's mistaken.

The entire Serpent's Eye is already dead, and the Storm Brigade will join them if they make a move.

I'll make sure of it.

It takes a few more hours to open the door. They constantly examine the star-shaped mana stone and even draw some circuit-like symbols on the door with white paint that seems to conduct mana very well.

Elydor is the one who unlocks the door, his mana radiating from his body. He continues to feed it to the symbols, adjusting them constantly. His eyes focused, and he finally takes a step closer and places the mana stone against the door.

They shake slightly, and although nothing appears to change, I sense they're open, similar to the ones in the hill.

“What do you think, Obelia? Quite good, isn't it?” With a smile, he turns to the guild master of the Storm Brigade, but the woman doesn't even bother to reply.

Elydor's mana stops radiating, and even his residual mana in the air gets pulled back into his body. He turns around, searching. His eyes land on me, and I anticipate his next words, “Get your ass going and scout for us.”

“Sure,” I reply as I rise to my feet.

I cut off the twins' [Connection] when some of them start complaining uselessly.

It's hard to understand them properly. Sure, I know why they are angry. Who would be happy to be ordered around like that? To be sent to risk their lives while being looked down upon. Yes, it's hard to endure, and yes, some of them might feel like their pride is hurt.

But it's slightly different for me. Elydor is already dead, his men are already dead; I'm just deciding when I will let them know that. I will do it in a way that benefits me the most while being the safest for me and for this silly group 4.

Maybe I will try to pit them against the Calamity to see what it is capable of. Maybe I will let them collect the items we are after and then deal with them.

“You listen really well, don't you? Maybe I should keep you and help you control the immense mana you're hiding.” Elydor smirks and whispers as I pass by him. Yet, I ignore his words and pass through the door.

Immediately after entering, I scan the area around me and create a few orbs to light the room. Yet, as before, there's no danger. I don't feel any mana; there's no threat.

It's gigantic.

When we enter the main house, there's a sigh of relief from everyone, but I become a bit nervous. I could have sworn I felt a pulse of mana around the edges of the city but I do not dare try to examine it.

Following the plans, which they likely had from the start, and using shaped mana stones, both big guilds move through the house, going from door to door, while we and Blackrock, another small guild, are left downstairs with a few people keeping watch.

Minutes pass, and occasionally, amidst the tense atmosphere, we can hear surprised shouts and excited talking.

The main house is in much better condition, with walls made from more durable stone and even glass. Mana circuits are everywhere, powering some peculiar effects, yet they've long been devoid of mana. Even the insides of the walls are full of them: the floors, the glass. And the more I examine, the more I am amazed by the amount of work and time it must have taken to create all this.

Maya turns to me, “Why did they even bring us here if we're only tagging along?”

Hadwin answers instead one me, "It's simple, we're fodder in case something happens. But so far, this is too easy, too easy. We should be ready for anything the moment we get out of the city." he pauses, "Or maybe we should run for it right now?"

"They locked the door, and Elydor has the key," I say, disappointing everyone.

No one wants to try anything, not while we're so close to a three-question-mark monster. Even the idea of dealing with 50 or so people seems like a much better option.

After what feels like ten more minutes, everyone returns to us. Some of the men and women are nearly laughing with a big smiles on their faces. They are holding weapons, large mana stones, or full boxes. All items are meticulously packed, and at just a simple glance, it's clear that they're not commonly found.

Elydor even comes back with two of his men carrying a large chest that seems heavy, even for two high-level men. It seems to be made from weird black wood-like material and there are no locks on it.

Obelia and her guild also seem satisfied, and Obelia herself holds something with a shape reminiscent of a spear, just tightly wrapped in cloth.

It takes a few more minutes for everyone to return, each one laden with as many items as they could carry. The Champion's house, still brimming with artifacts, seems to lack any strong protection. After hundreds of years, the mana likely no longer powers the defenses or traps.

Our return journey is quick and easy. There are no enemies. There are no surprises. Everything goes smoothly, even as we pass through the hidden passage in the living room back into the tunnels.

When Elydor locks the passage behind us, a few members of the expedition start laughing out loud, congratulating themselves. The atmosphere remains tense, but it's noticeably more cheerful as we swiftly move through the tunnel beneath the city. Some of them are already planning to return to loot again.

I sense something ahead of us before anyone else does, but I keep it to myself.

We continue to walk for another minute, and then a few of the more perceptive ones catch on as well. The atmosphere shifts immediately. There's a flurry of harsh words exchanged, and they hasten their pace.

But it doesn't matter. We reach a part of the tunnel that must be just under the edge of the city, and there, in front of us, stands a barrier made of pale white mana blocking our way.

They don't want to believe it at first, so they keep sending their mana to examine it, but it's futile. Just like me, they realize a spherical barrier envelops the entire city. Something only one entity in the area could accomplish.

We've been trapped by one of the four Calamities: the Living Tree.

Just then, a new side quest pops up.

Side quest:Survive.