Gwen could almost smell it as she looked into the dark entrance to the dungeon. The stench of blood.
How many people have walked into this cave and never come out? How many adventurers have foolishly given their lives in search of treasure, glory, or the thrill of power? How many young people have fallen into the hands of the undead, fighting for their masters' The army provides supplies?
Finally, the Princess of Avalon is no exception. She knew that the knights had tried to rid the place of monsters in the name of protecting the city, but as far as she knew, the local undead had never really threatened it. The Necromancer could have broken the guard and prevented his army from crossing the threshold, but he did not. He probably has no interest in the surface.
Gwen could have told herself that she was doing this for the sake of the kingdom, to protect the citizens from potential danger, but she didn't lie to herself. To reform the kingdom, she must keep winning. at last.
"Gwen," her half-sister Morgan said softly. "We're all waiting."
With her hands on her hips, the princess, clad in silver armor and holding a sword, turned to face her companions. Morgan, her "faithful cousin," sparkling in her deft fingers; Anne, the Academy's most promising spellcaster, fidgeting with nervousness; Archer, calm and sharp; and lying (alchemist) Walter Tee, There is a potion belt hanging on the chest; and there is Mrs. Thrall, the most experienced and beautiful priestess of Leonis.
It wasn't the best gathering she could have called, but each of them proved their worth individually in the gathering. It's a pity that Percy refused to come and avenge his master...
Then again, maybe he's the smartest among us to let things go. "Behind me is the point of no return," the princess told her troops. "Once we take a step, there is no turning back. No retreat. The undead know we are coming, and they will not relent; neither should we. We either return victorious, or we never return."
She practiced her speech, the inflections of her voice, her composure. She needs to exude confidence and put on a strong face.
"If you want to leave, this is your last moment to do so. I won't begrudge you if you do. No one will accuse you of cowardice. I want you to follow me to the depths of Helheim, and I can't promise You will win. What I can guarantee is that if we die, we will die with honor. Now, do any of you want to leave?"
Their reactions varied.
Morgan was excited. She had become strangely bold of late, which was uncharacteristic of her character; her victory at the Convergence must have given her some courage.
A seasoned leader, Mrs. Searle remains dignified and confident.
Anne, the youngest and least experienced member of the group, was nervous but determined. Gwen couldn't help but smile. The kingdom needs hardworking people like her at the helm.
Wu Long maintained a neutral expression. He is strong and believes he can succeed. Maybe deep down he enjoyed the challenge.
Walte
Tye also maintained a neutral expression, but with Take
uThe difference is that his expression does not come from confidence. Gwen considers herself to be more in tune with the emotions of others than most people.
As she looked at him, she felt a chill.
As for Gwen herself, even while surrounded by these strong and brave men, she had only one word in her mind.
Lonely.
She only shared her dream with her half-sister, and Morgan supported it out of personal ambition. "Thank you," the princess said to everyone. "Thank you for always standing by me, despite the setbacks."
"The death of Chief Garth is a huge blow, Your Highness." The priestess shook her head sadly. "I beg the gods to spare his soul. He may have died of a stroke rather than a sword, but he lived like a warrior."
It was not a stroke, although it looked like one, the princess thought, it was cold-blooded murder and a warning.
If the necromancer thought this would scare her back, he was wrong. The fact that he even had access to the leader only strengthened her determination to take him down.
However, this incident disrupted her plans. Immediately after the leader's death, the leader's personal guard shifts focus from assisting her mission to bringing the leader's body home and managing the transfer of power. Just as the enemy planned.
"Both his death and that of his son will be punished," the princess declared. "Have you all drank the poison gas antidote?" Everyone nodded. "Then cast your long-term buff spell. Take
u and I walked in front, Mrs. Yseult and A
ie follow behind, Walter
and Mo
ga
e goes last. "
The group obeyed her request, and Mrs. Salter spread Balder's divine light upon everyone. Gwen gestured to Morgan, inviting her to talk privately for a moment. "Yes, Gwen?" her illegitimate half-sister asked as they walked away.
"Watch the back, but pay even more attention to the alchemist." Gwen ordered. "He's much more powerful than he lets on, and he may have connections. If he behaves suspiciously, you have carte blanche to use force."
She researched his background, especially since he mentioned that he survived the rendezvous with Niflheim ten years ago. Over the past two decades, four such invasions have occurred in the Phelan region, destroying entire towns and leaving only refugees behind.
In short, while the dates match, his exact birthplace cannot be verified; nor are there any witnesses to prove that a man named Walter Tay ever lived in the area. A believable backstory, but easily unverifiable. Her own private investigation into his "interns" hit a similar dead end.
Finally, although albinism occurs in the spawn of fairies, she noticed that he made no sound when moving and his breathing rhythm never changed. This means either extensive training or supernatural abilities.
Maybe Gwen was being paranoid, but there was something off about this guy.
"That's..." Morgan frowned. "Okay...but what do you mean by stronger?"
"I asked the elemental magic professor at the academy," Gwen said. "A spell that could kill a warchief with one shot should be at least 5th level, but he is only registered in official documents as being capable of casting 4th level spells."
"He could have landed a killing blow," Morgan said, shrugging. He drove a nail into the giant's head. Or maybe he simply forgot to fill out the form. "
"Maybe." But Gwen's intuition told her otherwise. "Still, keep an eye on him."
Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. If he was involved in this dungeon nightmare, she would rather have him on her sword.
If she's wrong, though, and he's simply hiding his ability to keep a low profile, then Walter Tye might be a welcome asset. With her country devastated by a monster invasion, she can't afford to waste a skilled warrior.
It doesn't matter where he comes from.
Everyone is to be judged on their merits, including herself.
The dark stone corridors of the dungeon were eerily silent; and empty.
The toxic haze had long since dispersed, allowing the group to move forward without the risk of suffocation. However they had been walking for over an hour; they should have encountered the monster by now.
"Where are the undead?" Annie asked, feeling increasingly uneasy. "Last time the subway was full of them."
"Did we kill that many people?" Morgan asked loudly. "I do not believe."
Great ridicule. "They killed more of us than the enemy, and the bodies are missing."
"That means their numbers are increasing, not decreasing," Gwen agreed. This is part of the reason she chooses to lead an elite party rather than launch another raid; numbers are useless when the enemy can add fallen soldiers to their ranks.
As for the lack of opponents, maybe the rendezvous have already reached the dungeon, but they should see traces of the battle.
No. Most likely, the Necromancer has massed his forces deeper in preparation for an ambush.
Finally, the group walked down a familiar dank corridor; one led to a domed cave with a ceiling covered in blue moss. "Gwen..." Morgan whispered from behind, and the princess stopped everyone near the entrance.
"Yes," she said, recognizing the two shadowy pools and the narrow path between them. "That's the place."
The cave where Ramor and Sir Sigurd were killed, their bodies never found.
"So, you're here." An ominous male voice echoed in the cave.
Gwen readied her sword first, Takru readied his bow first, and the spellcaster behind them prepared to cast an emergency spell.
A dark figure appeared at the end of the passage, and the princess recognized it at once as a smoky figure. An evil entity from the kingdom's distant past, slain and then resurrected. The owner below.
As soon as he appeared, Anne struck him with lightning; but the ghost remained unmoved; he was only an apparition. "A [Phantom Projection]." Mrs. Soult recognized the spell. "Are you here to laugh at us, bad guy?"
"No," said the ghost. "I'm here to negotiate."
Great ridicule. "Small talk, really?"
Morgan glared at the ghost. "Did you speak when we first met? Because all I remember is that you wanted to kill me." "
"How many people have died from your gas?" Anne asked sharply.
"I admit that I have killed people who invaded my home, but how can this be considered a crime?" The ghost moved, as if confused. "If someone breaks into your house and wants to steal what you deserve, aren't they a robber? Shouldn't you protect your people with everything you have? I could have sent monsters up there, but I didn't."
"You want people to respect you because you didn't kill someone when you had the chance?" Annie asked in surprise.
"He's distracting us," Tai whispered to Mrs. Salter, grabbing the explosive potion in his hand. "We should keep going down."
"I still want to hear it," the priestess replied. "He may be cruel, but to reject a sincere offer of peace is against the tenets of my God."
"I'm saying we can coexist," Ghost explained. "My only wish is that I be left alone."
"I don't think so," Gwen said after investigating the local rumors. "I've researched Lyonse's history and there have been many unexplained disappearances over the past few years. Although it ended abruptly two years ago, it remains unresolved. But that was your doing, wasn't it? You need to eat , because you are (from Ankou)."
"A(A
kou)?" Anne asked.
"The last man who did not deserve to die escaped from Helheim during the year," Walter Tye explained. “They are thieves of souls who steal other people’s years to fuel their own immortality.”
The Necromancer did not deny his true nature. "Your criminal, I've found a solution."
"That's right," Gwen agreed. "But it's still murder."
"So it's right for you adventurers to kill criminals for bounty or justice, but wrong for an undead need to survive? How is this different from hunting-"
"It's a waste of time," Zhulong interjected.
"I'm not interested in philosophical debates," Gwen replied. "State your reasons quickly."
Then turned back. Too much blood, too much pain. If you take one more step, carnage will ensue. I don't know what your purpose is for disturbing my rest, but I just want to be alone for a while. "
"I knew you were a pale snake," Gwen said, and several of her companions gasped at the recognition of the name. "If we don't bother you, you'll create more undead and disrupt the cycle of souls."
"How could that be a bad thing?"
"Death is a necessary part of existence," Mrs. Searle said. “It is death that gives life meaning and is an inevitable part of existence.”
"That's a bold statement for a man who's never died!"
The ghost raised his voice, his calm facade disappearing for a moment, revealing a hidden rage. "I'll tell you what it's like to be in the spirit of Helheim," the ghost croaked. "Their existence is an eternity of regret and pain. Centuries passed in cold and darkness, boiling with jealousy for the living and for the souls chosen by the gods. After death there is nothing but pain!"
"If they wish to avoid punishment, they should follow the will of the gods and live an honorable life," Lady Searle replied, quoting the teachings of Esil. Gwen herself kept a straight face, even though she privately disagreed with the approach.
"Die with dignity? In a world surrounded by monsters, how many people will die "honorably"? What about those who die in accidents? Is it due to bad luck or the plague? Countless mortals will never get the chance" Gloriously "die by the weapon in your hand. God's system is biased." The ghost shook his head. "Is death necessary?" This is a lie that mortals tell themselves to avoid facing the cruel reality: death is painful and meaningless. But the undead offer an opportunity to escape this ridiculous system. Artists can create forever and families can never be separated by the claws of monsters. "
"At what cost?" Gwen argued, remembering Sir Sigurd and Ramor. “How many good people need to be sacrificed before you succeed?”
"If I succeed, all the people who have died so far can come back." The ghost pointed out. "Eternal life will not only make these sacrifices worthwhile, it will erase them. There is no need for young people to die ignominiously before the powers of the Nine Kingdoms."
This sentence hit Gwen too hard. She has also sent warriors to die in the name of ultimately reforming Avalon, praying that the end result would be worth the cost.
No, this is different, she thought. I don't murder teenage students, nor assassinate old samurai in their sleep.
"I don't believe it," Gwen replied. She has come too far to back down now, and for her dream of changing Avalon, she needs to claim his head.
"Yeah, we won't have blood on your hands," Anne said.
"We have a job to do, it's over," Take
u added.
"All I can do is pray that you can be freed from the regrets that still bind you to this world." Mrs. Joseph shook her head sympathetically. "I understand how you feel, but the reincarnation of souls is necessary for the world to survive Ragnarok. May the gods have mercy on you."
The ghost remained eerily silent as no one accepted his offer to leave.
"Then die."
The ghost disappeared without a trace.
Wulong immediately became nervous, and his keen senses noticed something. "Behind us!" he warned loudly, and everyone turned to look at the corridor.
Gwen heard them crawling toward them, and long later she saw their bloodshot red eyes staring back at them from the darkness. A swarm of hungry thousands, coming to devour the entire swarm.
mouse.
Gwen immediately began to give orders, and the dungeon battle officially began.
