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.

is the situation on your

heard a large explosion that seemed to have come from outside

he still chose to pursue his role, which was to find out what was

we under attack?"

of silence, the voice

The location of our base has been compromised. We're currently under siege by those

words, the elder's

dampening system has made it impossible for those bastards to find the coordinates of our base!

thought struck the elder as he turned his attention back towards

—Unless what?

the elder's

a moment before replying with a

that exposed

—…That's impossible.

voice spoke after a

runs even more deeply than some of us present in the council. How can it be him? Furthermore, he is also responsible

"…You might be right."

realized the validity of the words presented

dwarves with

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 was left

them, he would've

remember the deep seethed hatred he saw in Karl when

He was there.

witnessed

he also took down two beacons was a testament to his

for so long...the elder didn't

the elder massaged his forehead as he tried to think of

who could

beacons? Since the dampening system was turned off in that specific area,

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

we already

that? Why are you

in surprise, the elder hurriedly

just got a live feed of

could feel a tone of malice emerge

for us

brows knit at those

it related to

—Yes.

voice in the

were the ones that led the attackers towards our location. Moments after

I don't think

elder's face sank once

fists, the elder trembled

think that those incompetent bastards would scheme against

—…BANG!

a loud explosion rang in

"What is going on?"

elder instantly became

currently under attack. The

signal cut off, and the elder was left panicked,

he trying to say that someone has infiltrated

the elder tried to make out the last words that the voice in his ear was trying to say. But, before he could even think properly, the hair at

WIIIIIING—

the elder

Clang—

circular, pressurised wind that expanded from the point of contact between the two

"Khhh…who!?"

steps back, the elder stabilized

head and getting a closer look at who had

"Human…"

narrowed

"Guess that didn't work."

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

the body of the blade. What followed after

WIIIIIING—

in the slightest. Raising his hand, a

thin transparent shield materialised in front of the duergan

BANG—

right as the shield formed. Connecting with the shield, ripples formed around its surface as it completely absorbed the energy

any time. Extending his hand towards the right, a

the hammer, the elder glared at