Tap Tap Tap Tap Tap
In an empty corridor, a dragonoid creature was running toward a big double-sided door.
Bang!
The dragonoid creature pushes open the door with a loud bang without knocking, as sweat rolls down from his face. It was unknown whether the sweat was from all the running or from the news that he was about to deliver.
"Lord Bercus! Ter…" The dragonoid creature could not finish his sentence before pressure descended onto him, planting him face-first into the ground.
"Hmp. I hope you have a good reason to disturb my rest, Lars." Burcus coldly said as he lifted his head that was resting against his fist.
"T-t-terribly sorry my lord! Scaris just sends a message that the prison has been discovered." Lars spoke while shaking on the ground.
Bercus finally opened his eyes wide upon hearing the news. "Fuk!!" he shouted angrily as he slammed the throne he was resting on. The throne broke apart into dust. "I told that losers to stop opening the door for 'fresh air!'"
Lars was now lying flat on the ground due to the pressure he was experiencing. Still, he did his job and continued reporting. "Scaris said it was only three young human kids that discovered the prison. However, he stated that one of the three felt dangerous and weird."
Bercus' eyes narrowed, his anger simmering beneath the surface. His claws dug into his palms, his gaze fixed on the trembling Lars.
"Three human children," Bercus muttered, his voice low and dangerous. "And one felt... dangerous? Even for Scaris?"
Lars nodded, his body still pressed against the cold stone floor, barely able to speak. "Y-yes, my lord... Scaris believes this child may have some kind of... unusual power. He couldn't confirm much, but the feeling was strong enough to concern him."
Bercus stood up, his large, muscular frame towering over Lars. The air in the room felt heavy, as though the very walls were being suffocated by Bercus' fury. He paced a few steps, deep in thought.
"If this is true... it could complicate things," Bercus said, mostly to himself. He stopped and turned to Lars, his eyes glowing with a fierce light. "Did Scaris say where these children are now?"
Lars struggled to lift his head, his voice barely a whisper. "They... they left the area before he could get his slime on them, my lord. He did not give chase afterward, afraid it would alert all the 'S-rankers' in the world."
"It seems that we need to speed up our plans." Bercus started contemplating before looking at Lars. "What about the puppets that decided to jump ships?"
Lars felt his throat go dry when Bercus asked that question. "A-about that my lord. Most of them have been destroyed and massacred by unknown assailants."
"How about those 'guilds' led by the S-rankers? I doubt they will be destroyed that easily."
"That too. Most of them have laid low for the time being because the news of traitors among the awakeners resulted in the Council cracking down on every guild." Lars replied.
"All of them? What a bunch of cowards." Bercus snorted after hearing the report.
"All but one. Square Table Guild decided to use their full power to take over London when the Council was having a meeting. Unfortunately, their secret of being a traitor got out when the son of the guild leader decided to use Photon Energy to save himself from an ambush."
"And?" Bercus spoke with boredom as if he didn't care about the lives of the puppets.
"Now, the whole of London is surrounded and all news regarding it has been censored by the Council since an S-ranker is a traitor.
"Pathetic," Bercus growled.
Lars shifted nervously. "Yes, my lord. But... the news of their betrayal has sent ripples through the Council. No one knows the full extent of what's happening in London, but the Council's crackdown has tightened. If the situation isn't handled carefully, we can lose all our resources for the sacrifices."
"What is the energy level right now?" Bercus finally got serious.
"89% my lord. We need at least another 20 thousand more sacrifices to reach 100%."
"89% is enough. Too many unknown variables are popping up. We cannot bide our time anymore." A light flashes in the chamber as the Bercus figure transforms to look more like a dragon.
"Prepare the army. We will start the invasion. Send a message to Scaris. Tell him to keep the prison sealed." Bercus orders Lars as he steps out of the chamber.
"Yes, My Lord!" Lars acknowledged the orders and quickly made his way to fulfill them as soon as the pressure on him disappeared.
***
Kuro, Eli, and Lira came out of the portal after escaping Egypt. Eli and Lira were out of breath as they caught their breath while Kuro was listening in on his shadow soldiers reports.
The shadow soldier he left near the entrance to the Pyramid of Giza reports that the entrance has disappeared. The awakeners that arrived could not find the entrance as if it never existed.
'So it was a coincidence that we stumbled across the entrance?' Kuro thought. 'Either way, I need to find out what is imprisoned inside for such a strong monster to be protecting it.'
Kuro turned toward Eli and Lira, who were resting on a bench. "You two go back first. I need to report what happened to the principal."
They both nodded toward Kuro. Especially Eli, whose enthusiasm seemed to have been deflated.
Kuro walked back toward his house and saw Brian still sleeping on the couch as he opened the door. Not wanting to disturb him, Kuro made his way toward his bedroom.
Once inside, he sat down on the bed as he looked at the reward from the emergency quest.
[Emergency Quest: 'Run!' Completed]
[Rewards: ]
+1 Level
+1 To all stat
+10 Stat Points
+ Class Skill: Shadow Exchange
Shadow Exchange?
He instinctively activated the skill window to check its description to see if it was the same as in the series.
Class Skill: Shadow Exchange
Allows the user to switch places with any shadow soldiers, and it can be used up to three times per day.
This could be useful. He already relied heavily on his shadow soldiers, and now he could move around even more freely, potentially in dangerous situations where quick escapes or repositioning were necessary.
He leaned back against the bed frame, lost in thought when a loud yawn came from the living room. Brian, still groggy from his nap, shuffled into the hallway and Kuro's line of sight.
"You're back already? What happened?" Brian asked, rubbing his eyes as he stepped closer.
Kuro looked at Brian before he started sharing everything that happened in the Pyramid of Giza. As Kuro spoke, Brian's expression shifted from drowsy indifference to a focused intensity the more he listened to Kuro retelling of the prison and the warden that guards it. Especially when Kuro stated that the warden was using a kind of energy that was different from mana.
"Wait," Brian interrupted, his voice sharper now. "You're saying this warden wasn't using mana? What kind of energy was it? What does it look like?" His earlier exhaustion seemed to vanish entirely.
"It's hard to describe," Kuro admitted. "It wasn't like anything I've ever sensed. It felt… more primal, almost raw. It looks like galaxies when it is emitted from the warden body."
"Photon Energy!" Brian screamed.
"Photon Energy? As in the Photon Emperor?" Something clicks in Kuro's head. "You mean the warden is an invader?"
"Most likely yes." Brian nodded. "We must deal with this seriously as this is the second lead we have to the invaders."
"What is the first lead?" Kuro asked in curiosity.
"Square Table Guild in London. It seems they are collaborating with the invaders as they can also use Photon Energy. Anyway, I need to get this information to the council."
Kuro stopped Brian when he was getting up. "You don't need to. I will deal with it."
Brian looks at Kuro. "I know you've been hunting down the traitors but they are weak compared to the warden. The traitors are, after all, never born to use the Photon Energy as their main source of power. The warden, on the other hand, can use Photon Energy to its maximum efficiency."
"Still, I want to deal with this situation myself. The Council already has a handful in London."
"You've always been stubborn," Brian muttered. "But alright, I get it. Just don't go getting yourself killed, alright?"
"I'll do my best."
Brian sighed, clearly still not entirely at ease with the situation, but he nodded. "I'll get the info to the council anyway. They'll need to be aware of this. Whether you like it or not, the council's got resources that you don't. If things escalate, they'll be your backup." Brian went out after stating his ultimatum.
Once Brian was out of sight, Kuro used Shadow Exchange with the shadow soldier he left near the Pyramid.