Chapter 258: Episode 258

Chapter 69: The Mana Thief

The Wailing Wall had crumbled. The once-impenetrable gates were thrown wide open, and the fortress fell in a single day. The fief, which had belonged to Count Dinen, now served as a base for the knights from the North.

’Creeak.’

The office door opened. It was where the lord always sat, gazing out over his domain. Duke Peyton removed his plate armor, hung it on a stand, and took a seat. The fief had been heavily damaged, but the royal army was gradually making repairs. He would be able to rest here comfortably before advancing on Balak.

’So I have finally entered the West.’

It had been a long time coming. For a whole year, pressure from the imperial family had made it impossible to even dream of advancing, but now an opportunity had arisen. Though the Elenore Raid Party he had hired had failed, he was now here in person. Haven, the sole link between the Derk Empire and the West, was his. The obstacle that was Count Dinen was gone.

“My Lord,” a voice came from outside. “Sir Centrix and Sir Crowell have arrived from the Noa royal family.”

It was his knight, Rudin. The two Superhumans who had spent a decade at the Demecor Fortress on a prophecy had come. He hadn’t been among their number back then, but he had since closed the gap in power. Duke Peyton went to the reception room without hesitation.

“We’ve been waiting, Duke Peyton,” one of them said.

“My apologies for the delay. It has been a long time.”

“A full ten years,” the other sighed. “We were stuck in that fortress because of a damn prophecy, but now we dedicate ourselves to His Majesty, Leon.”

“…Is that so.”

The two Superhumans sat, lamenting their past. In the political arena, the Duke’s influence was greater than theirs, but in terms of raw power, he couldn’t dare to speak to them as equals.

’Their presence is even stronger than before,’ Peyton thought. ’At my current level, I wouldn’t stand a chance.’

The difference in strength was too vast to even spark a sense of rivalry. He listened to their story before moving to the main topic.

“What is it that His Majesty, King Leon van Noa, desires of me? I have entered the West as requested, but I have yet to hear the detailed conditions.”

“It’s simple,” Centrix said. “Subjugate Balak and move the Derk Empire.”

“…That does not seem so simple. Are you asking me to mobilize the imperial family itself and raise an army?”

“Not externally, but internally,” Crowell clarified. “His Majesty currently desires a strong pillar of support. The Derk Empire’s political voice was limited due to Count Dinen, was it not? But things are different now. I believe you know what I mean.”

This wasn’t about a minor political favor; it was about the will of the imperial family itself—a declaration on a national level that could influence the entire continent.

’They’re madmen,’ Peyton thought grimly. ’They intend to turn the entire continent into a battlefield. He’s no different from a tyrant.’

He gave a bitter smile. Leon was one thing, but he himself had raised his dukedom for the sole purpose of subjugating a demon. He was in no position to judge. The two Superhumans requested a detailed timeline for his advance and also asked him to visit the Aeneas Kingdom. Duke Peyton readily agreed, bringing the tense meeting to a close.

—

[The Humanos Raid Party has entered the Revived Plains.]

Lately, A-rank raid parties had been attacking with increasing frequency. With Count Dinen’s fall, the old rules had vanished. Now, anyone could attempt to conquer Balak, and they no longer had to fight for the right. As a result, Balak was fending off A-rank raiders on a daily basis.

“I think this is the third one today,” Raviz noted.

“Tsk. As soon as Duke Peyton’s arrival was announced, it’s been absolute chaos,” Taehyun grumbled. “Did they all come here hoping to conquer Balak?”

“I think so. The rumors about the might of the Peyton Dukedom are already rampant in Myol. Some of the dungeon residents are terrified that Balak might be subjugated.”

The Duke had arrived with over four thousand knights; their fear was understandable. The raiders hoped to conquer the dungeon before Peyton could, but things were not going their way.

[A-rank hero soldier, Lich Bigdream’s special ability ’Black Mist’ has been activated.]

[Top A-rank raider Humanos casts Maddened Bloodlust.]

The soldiers lying in wait clashed with the raid party. The siege units, enhanced by Larkan’s modifications, packed more firepower than ever. The barrage that erupted from within the Black Mist was devastating. Humanos, the raid leader, dealt with the harpies in the sky and was about to unleash his own attack when two Death Knights appeared, one on each flank.

“We will break through to the rear! Follow me!”

“Increase the damage to their shield!”

It was Grizzle and Granzle. They led their Abyss Knights and newly evolved A-rank Gargoyles in a charge toward the enemy’s back line.

[S-rank named soldier, Nightmare Knight Grizzle, casts Lord’s Vigor.]

[A-rank hero soldier, Death Knight Granzle, casts Lord’s Vigor.]

[Elite A-rank soldiers, the Venitas Gargoyles, cast Explosive Charge.]

The titanium spears forged by the dwarves demonstrated their terrifying power. The gargoyles, their morale soaring, pierced straight through the raiders’ shield, creating an opening. The two Death Knights charged through on their spectral mounts, leading the Abyss Knights in a brutal slaughter.

“Dammit! We’re retreating!” Humanos yelled.

With their rear breached, a proper defense was impossible. He quickly activated Location Shift and ordered a retreat, but Taehyun was not about to let them go.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

[The Humanos Raid Party has used Location Shift.]

[The locations of all raiders will be changed to the previously saved location.]

[Forced Location Change has been used.]

[The Humanos Raid Party’s location will be forcibly changed to the Revived Plains.]

The raid party, which had just vanished, reappeared in the same spot. The undead soldiers, after a brief pause, roared with renewed fervor and continued their massacre.

“Kuaaaargh!”

“An S-rank exclusive item… How cheap!”

“Stop stabbing the same spot, you bone-headed bastards!”

There was no way an A-rank raid party would know how to counter an S-rank exclusive item. Taehyun watched them get annihilated and let out a dry chuckle.

“If you think it’s unfair, you should’ve become S-rank yourselves.”

“With this, the third raid party has been wiped out,” Raviz confirmed.

“Well, I’m quite satisfied. It was worth using Evolution on the gargoyles.”

“Oh, right. Sir Taehyun, Hasla and Hamolten should be waiting for you in the final room by now. Tuperus is busy crafting an ancient artifact, but he should still be able to listen in.”

The representatives of each race were gathered. Now that a new Guide had been chosen, it was only natural for them to hold regular meetings. Taehyun headed for the final room, his mind on the new ability he was about to learn.

[Catfolk Great Chieftain Hasla]

[Elder of the Silent Forest, Hamolten]

[Great Chieftain of the Rough Rock Tribe, Tuperus]

He could see the three representatives seated there. With the exception of the extinct hobbits, all the remaining races—elves, beastmen, and dwarves—were gathered before him.

“You demonic bastard! I had to halt my work just to come here. Get over here, now!” Tuperus barked.

“Ahem. Tuperus, is that any way to address our Guide?” Hasla chided gently. “Show some basic courtesy.”

“Hmph. So formal,” Hamolton scoffed. “Is it truly necessary to be so rigid just because he’s the Guide? Since Ameria, the God of Nature, has acknowledged him, Taehyun Yoo is our friend—not some sublime being we must revere.”

The bickering had already started. Their different views on how to treat the Guide were clearly a source of friction. Taehyun approached them, holding out the Magic Jade.

“You said I’d awaken a new ability by becoming the Guide,” he began, his tone even. “But I haven’t awakened any new ability, and I can’t even fill this thing with magic. Can you explain it again?”

“Ahem. The ability Hamolton mentioned was likely related to the Magic Jade itself,” Hasla clarified. “You are already aware that there is a sealed ability within it, are you not, Guide?”

“I am. So how much Mana does it need?”

“May I examine the Magic Jade for a moment?” Hasla asked, and Taehyun handed it over.

Hasla inspected the artifact. It was the same Magic Jade that had absorbed power from the crystal sphere in the labyrinth, yet none of its seals had been released. After a moment, he proposed a solution.

“This amount is nowhere near enough,” he declared. “The great sources of magic on this continent are hidden in various locations. You must use the Magic Jade’s ability to find them, Guide.”

“Right,” Taehyun recalled. “You said it would locate powerful sources of magic and show me the way.”

“Precisely. Why don’t you try using it right now?”

A beacon that could find all sources of magic. The moment the jade was back in his hand, Taehyun activated its second ability.

[The second effect of the Magic Jade has been activated.]

[Discovering the nearest source of Mana.]

At last, the Magic Jade began to glow. The three demi-human representatives watched in awe as a long beam of light shot out from it like a lighthouse beacon.

“Ooh! So this is the destination our Guide must travel to?” Hasla murmured.

“I would love to examine the inside of that jade,” Hamolton mused. “To possess such abilities… I’m intensely curious about its structure.”

“I’ll check the direction myself,” Tuperus grunted.

The beam of light extended from Balak, stretching all the way to the continent’s edge. Hamolton used movement magic to pinpoint its approximate location.

“Hmph. It seems to be at the western edge, in the Plains of Pain,” he reported. “However, the problem is that it doesn’t end there.”

“Then where is it?” Taehyun pressed.

“It appears to be underwater. The beam of light is pointing directly into the sea.”

Taehyun was silent.

The very first destination was already a problem. It wasn’t even on the continent, but in the middle of the ocean. Taehyun asked the three representatives if they knew of a way, but they could only shake their heads. Then, a name surfaced in his mind: Aquanteil.

’Come to think of it, there was a dungeon in Leaf Lake. An A-rank high-tier dungeon, same as Livixiun.’

Unlike the Collad Mountains, it was underwater, so he had left it alone. More accurately, he hadn’t been able to touch it. A slow smile spread across Taehyun’s face as he pulled out his communication device.

—

The underwater dungeon, Aquanteil, was a glass castle that had rested at the bottom of Leaf Lake since its initial summoning. Its submerged location meant no raid parties had ever challenged it, allowing it to steadily accumulate Zen through the Demon Realm’s merchant guild.

[The Fishmen soldiers have collected Metria.]

[A-rank Hero Guardian Nikshurm has cleared difficulty level 3.]

[The Fishmen soldiers have mined Rakodic.]

Magic stones weren’t an issue either. The people of the continent were unaware, but another space existed within Leaf Lake: the Ruins of Pride, a conquerable dungeon with varying difficulty levels. The dungeon master, Lifteil, had been using these ruins to consistently level up her soldiers and stockpile magic stones. Furthermore, the ores and seafood from the lake provided a steady stream of income. The Dungeon Master, Jiyeon Kim, had no reason to be dissatisfied.

“Lady Jiyeon, we’ve broken through the third stage of the Ruins of Pride,” a fishman soldier reported. “I believe we can soon aim for S-rank.”

“Excellent,” Jiyeon replied, her voice filled with ambition. “We’ll begin to reveal our true power, starting with Leaf Lake. We will become a dungeon no one can ignore!”

“Yes, my lady! For now, everyone is flocking to Balak, but once Aquanteil appears, no one will dare to look down on us.”

They were methodically developing the glass castle’s interior, preparing for the day it would rise to the surface. Once it became an S-rank dungeon, their preparations would be complete. Jiyeon reviewed Aquanteil’s forces with a pleased smile.

’With this much power, we can finally reveal ourselves to the continent. We’ve prepared for so long. Nothing can go wrong!’

Though the raiders’ radar had pinpointed the dungeon’s location, she had managed to prepare without sustaining any damage. All that remained was to make a grand entrance as a major power in the West. Jiyeon gazed at the magic stones in her inventory, her resolve hardening. Just then, a message flashed before her eyes.

[Fishman Soldier Hakukun has been electrocuted to death.]

It was the death of one of her scouts.

—

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