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 is

arriving at the artifact testing room, the elder had naturally heard

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

we under attack?"

of silence,

The location of our base has been compromised. We're currently under siege by those bastards. We've called for reinforcements, and have set up the defensive

those words, the

dampening system has made it impossible for those

elder as he turned his attention back towards

—Unless what?

voice in the elder's ear

thought for a moment before

exposed

—…That's impossible.

after a brief

the dwarves. His hatred runs even more deeply than some of us present in the council. How can it be him?

"…You might be right."

matter, the elder soon realized the validity of the words

the fact that he hated dwarves with a passion, the

neurological field and memory extraction area. Something that was considered taboo to the dwarves. As such he

for them, he would've long

could vividly remember the deep seethed hatred he saw in Karl when

He was there.

witnessed the whole

also took down two beacons was a testament to his possible innocence… That was, of course, unless

it for

the door, the elder massaged his forehead as he tried

who could it

he was decoding the beacons? Since the dampening system was turned off in that specific area, it could've

except Karl ever entered that room.' The elder shook his head in confusion. He couldn't make heads or tails

already

by that? Why

in surprise, the elder

now because I just got a live feed of what happened prior to the

moment. The elder could feel a tone

bastards that asked for us to let them

brows knit

it related to

—Yes.

voice in the

attackers towards our location. Moments after they appeared, we were suddenly attacked.

don't

face

the elder trembled with

think that those incompetent bastards

—…BANG!

explosion rang in the

"What is going on?"

instantly became

I'm currently under attack.

finish, the signal cut off, and

to say that

down, 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 the back

WIIIIIING—

hesitating, the elder raised

Clang—

after was a circular, pressurised

"Khhh…who!?"

back, the elder stabilized his

head and getting a closer look at who had attacked him,

"Human…"

narrowed

"Guess that didn't work."

Waylan raised his broadsword and

enveloped the body of the blade. What followed

WIIIIIING—

panic in the slightest. Raising his hand, a

bracer, a thin transparent shield materialised in front of the duergan

BANG—

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

raising his head, the elder did not waste any time. Extending his hand towards the right, a large hammer appeared in

handle of the hammer, the