The Author's POV

348 Planting the seeds of chaos [2]

BANG— BANG—

A loud metallic sound rang as an energy blast shot towards a large metal door.

The sound rang in the air for a brief moment before it disappeared completely. What followed after was the cacophonous sound of several alarms ringing, completely drowning out the banging sounds that ensued after repetitive attacks towards the metallic door.

"Step to the side."

Seeing that the attacks were not working, a duergar stepped up.

Holding onto a large metallic barrel in-between his armpits, the duergar channeled his mana towards it. Soon, spherical orbs of mana agglomerated towards the center of the barrel, forming a concentrated ball of energy.

The threatening energy expanded in the hall as it steadily increased in size.

Before long, once the ball reached a certain size, the duergar firmly planted both of his feet on the ground and discharged the energy.

BOOOM—!

What followed after was a terrifying blast that shot towards the massive metal door. A colorful trail of mana traced behind the attack.

Once the attack connected with the door, a thunderous sound rang out, and smoke diffused in the air.

"Did it work?"

The duergar who shot the attack wondered out loud as he tried to see through the large cloud of smoke.

"It's no use. The door is designed to withstand the impacts of ranked individuals. All you're doing is wasting mana."

Before the duergar could get a proper look, a cold and apathetic voice spoke from behind.

Turning to the direction where the voice came from, the duergar's face paled considerably.

"L-Lord!"

"Stay put."

Scanning the metal door, the mood of the duergar elder sank.

"Damn it."

Placing his palm on the door, the elder circulated the mana inside of his body towards the palm of his hand and closed his eyes. He was trying to gauge what was going on inside the room.

While the elder was busy, the duergars behind him stood silently with their backs straight, not daring to mouth a single word.

After a while, opening his eyes, the elder's face relaxed a little.

"He's still alive…"

After having scanned the internal structure of the room, although he wasn't able to tell what exactly was going on inside, he could tell that there were two people alive.

Out of the two, one was a demon and the other was Karl.

Recognizing Karl's mana signature, the elder was able to tell that he was still alive. At this revelation, he felt a lot more relaxed. As long as he was alive, all was good.

"Hm?"

However, apart from those two energies, he felt no other energy. This meant only one thing.

Every single researcher inside had been killed.

'Why did a demon betray us?'

The elder wondered as his brows tightly knit in consternation.

For the perpetrator to be a demon, no wonder the Duergars assigned to Karl had failed to protect him. Nobody would have seen it coming.

—How is the situation going on your side?

It was then that a voice suddenly entered the elder's ears.

Completely unfazed by the voice, the elder tapped on his ear and responded in a calm tone, "Karl is still alive. However, he is currently being held hostage inside of the room with a demon."

—A demon?

The voice sounded a bit surprised. It quickly followed up with a question.

—So you're saying that the one responsible for this is a demon?

"That is correct."

The elder darkly replied.

situation on your side? What exactly

the elder had naturally heard a large explosion that seemed to

was curious, he still chose to pursue his role, which was to find out what was going on with

under attack?" The elder

of

siege by those bastards. We've called for

the elder's face sank

location has been breached? That's impossible! Our dampening system has made it impossible for

he turned his

—Unless what?

voice in the

the elder thought for a moment before

that exposed

—…That's impossible.

after a

how much Karl hates the dwarves. His hatred runs even more deeply than some of us present in the council. How can it be him? Furthermore, he is also responsible for taking down two

"…You might be right."

the matter, the elder soon realized the validity of the words

Karl's background, and the fact that he hated dwarves with a passion, the probability of him being the culprit was

was someone that the dwarves had rejected and scorned due to the various ideas he had proposed in the past. Each dwelling in the neurological field and memory extraction area. Something that was considered taboo to the dwarves. As such he was treated as an outcast that

for them, he would've long died

vividly remember the deep seethed hatred he saw

He was there.

witnessed

down two beacons was a testament to his possible innocence… That was, of course, unless he was faking it the

faking it for so long...the

massaged his forehead as he tried

could it

spy entered Karl's room while he was decoding the beacons?

be that either. No one except Karl ever entered that room.' The elder shook his head in confusion. He couldn't make heads

we already have

you mean by that? Why are

his head in surprise,

telling you now because I just got a live feed of what happened prior

The elder could feel a tone of malice emerge from

for us to let

knit at those

it related to

—Yes.

in the

towards our location.

don't

elder's face

his fists, the elder trembled with uncontrollable

think that those incompetent bastards would scheme

—…BANG!

a loud explosion rang in

"What is going on?"

instantly became

under attack. The

could finish, the signal cut off, and

trying to say that someone has

the elder tried to make out the last words that the voice in his ear was trying to say. But, before

WIIIIIING—

the elder

Clang—

pressurised wind that expanded from

"Khhh…who!?"

several steps back, the elder stabilized his body

head and getting a closer look at who had attacked

"Human…"

eyes narrowed into thin

"Guess that didn't work."

raised his broadsword and once again slashed down. Not wasting a

a thin coating of mana enveloped the body of the blade. What followed after was a terrifying attack that shot out from the broadsword,

WIIIIIING—

in the slightest. Raising his hand, a thin arm bracer appeared on

mana towards the bracer, a thin transparent shield materialised in front

BANG—

formed around its surface as it

elder did not waste any time. Extending his hand towards

on the handle of the hammer, the