"Stay in the circle and slowly get back to the entrance!" (Shen)
"Misha, watch your step!" (Yeli)
"Leave the rear to me!" (Musha)
"Big sis Yeli!" (Misha)
"Ah! That was close! Thank you, Misha!" (Yeli)
"Hehe! No problem!" (Misha)
Shen, Yeli, Musha, and Misha are slowly going back to the entrance while facing the worms. After hearing Arlan's warning, they all quickly form a formation to retreat. Unfortunately, the worms have surrounded them and their numbers are close to a hundred.
Arlan's shadow puppets are helping them but even they couldn't protect all sides considering some worms have higher power than others, they rush through the [Withered Domain] and almost catch Yeli.
"Sorry, that was my fault. I lost focus for a moment there. Are you okay, Yeli?"
"Yes! Don't worry about me, sir Shen!"
Shen is still unfamiliar with the way his skill works which is why he misunderstood the incident as his mistake. He proceeded to strengthen the [Withered Domain] so that it reaches 6 meters in diameter.
"Look! They eat their own friend!" (Misha)
"Good finding, Misha! Everyone, position the worms so they die in the opposite direction from our path!" (Yeli)
""Understood!""
Each time they managed to kill a worm, that dead worm got eaten by other worms. This also allows them some space to move around by positioning the dead worms away from their path. From then on, they easily slipped through the worm's circle and reached the entrance.
"Everyone, please stay behind us. There will be a slight turbulence from Master's fight" (Arlbes)
"I will cast a barrier too!" (Yeli)
"The worms... aren't following us anymore" (Shen)
As soon as the party left the demon lord's room, the worms shifted their attention toward Arlan.
Before leaving the others, Arlan asked Arlbes to supply him with blood that replicated his own blood. His wound got affected with [Corrupted Wound] which hinders any type of healing property but, with his body constitution, the effect only lasted 5 seconds before he manifested a resistance for [Corruption] effect. The blood that was supplied by Arlbes will be used to support the regeneration of his limb so Arlan can move right away.
After his limb was restored completely, Arlan continuously cast spells one after another. His vision is covered with various notifications from spell activation to spell effects and a bunch of new titles.
The most eye-catching one is [Phoenix Trail], a spell that is a combination of wind and fire elements, supported by a light element to further increase all its properties like speed and burning effect. He controls this spell to only affect his body without burning his clothes and everyone around him until he faces the boar lord.
Since he will move to the point it reached Mach speed, he activated the [Arcane Eye] and [Thought Acceleration], layer upon layer of the barrier for his whole body and a special barrier for his eyes, and the set of buffs he always used.
Lastly, he took out the broken dark matter sword and held each piece in each of his hands. He held both pieces as if he was holding a crown, with both palms facing upward. Both pieces levitate as soon as they receive something akin to mana but not mana from Arlan. It was an aura or a 'ki'.
That aura then formed a dragon, unlike the dragon that is commonly known by the masses, it was a different kind of dragon. It was like a snake but it was definitely a dragon. Even Shen saw it as a dragon that he is familiar with.
This blue dragon is circling the broken sword from the grip to the tip of the blade. It kept circling it until there was a faint image of a sword forming, covering the sword. When Arlan finally succeeded in forming the [Sword Aura], he gained another title and a confirmation appeared.
*[Aura Master] title has been acquired!
*[Permission to analyze 'Aura'/'Ki'] [Yes/No]
Unfortunately for the [Menu], Arlan didn't have time to respond to it as he leaped forward right away after he told Shen to pull the skeletons back.
*[29 seconds before [Sword Aura] runs out!]
In just 1 second, Arlan already reached the boar lord. The boar lord didn't back down and faced Arlan as soon as all the skeletons stopped attacking it. It reached out with its lower right hand, after moving the scythe to the upper right arm, in order to grab Arlan but he swiftly evaded the hand while still in mid-air and circling the arm toward its shoulder.
Arlan left a trail of a blazing flame, as he moved further and further to the shoulder, the flame burned the boar lord's lower right arm. Arlan was aiming for the crystal on its chest but he soon realized there are countless layers of barrier protecting it so he needs a certain distance before he can rush through it.
Arlan took a bit of distance with just less than a half second and leaped around again by continuously forming a barrier as his foothold. By doing this, he minimizes the risk of him being targeted by the laser thing again.
The boar lord isn't losing either. It follows Arlan's movement to a scary extent. The boar lord looked like swinging its scythe randomly but it was continuously following Arlan's position. Its whip that got corrupted has a new feature. The whip becomes alive and can actively follow its target movement.
The crystal keeps charging with miasma while both of them are still fighting. Their fight is no longer something that can be followed by just anyone. While evading and looking for a chance, Arlan tried to incapacitate the boar lord but to no avail.
*[20 seconds before [Sword Aura] runs out!]
"They are outside. Alright!"
*[Feather] has been activated!
*[Your body has become lighter!]
The sudden change of movement speed confused the boar lord and it lost track of Arlan for a brief moment until it realized that Arlan stopped right in front of it. He thrust the sword forward without hesitation while launching several magics.
"GRAA–???"
Amidst its roar, Arlan suddenly disappeared from its vision. The little human that was charging straight head-on with a thrust suddenly disappeared even when the boar lord hasn't blinked yet.
"I'm still underneath you, dumbass!"
*[Afterimage] has been canceled!
*[Wind Blast] has been activated!
In fact, Arlan was actually in front of it in less than a second then he cast the [Afterimage], a kind of illusion spell that required the user to be fast at moving in order to use it.
By casting [Wind Blast], Arlan put more power into his footing before jumping. The boar lord couldn't respond to it and Arlan destroyed all the barriers protecting the crystal. The crystal has been charging up for 10 seconds now and it is ready to shoot another laser.
Despite the crystal being ready to shoot a laser, Arlan didn't back down nor run around anymore. He stood up, adjacent to the crystal about 10 meters away. The boar lord was wary if it was another trick but Arlan didn't care. He prepares to thrust in for real this time.
Arlan holds the sword by retracting it to the back, then he positions his left hand next to the tip of the sword aiming at the crystal. His body is now faced to the side while his head stares straight at the boar lord.
"That stance–!!"
Shen was about to comment on Arlan's stance but he couldn't finish his sentence because of what happened next.
The staring contest didn't last even a second and Arlan made the first move. Then there was silence for a solid second before a massive explosion occurred.
The explosion came from the collision between the [Sword Aura] and the [Crystal] filled with miasma. Arlan made his first move as he flew in mid-air. When he reached the 5 meters mark, the laser came from the crystal straight into Arlan's path. He didn't evade it, instead, he thrust in with the sword. A sword that is covered in [Sword Aura] is able to cut through most things. The laser that was able to penetrate Arlan's defense is now rendered useless in front of the [Sword Aura] and Arlan manages to stab the crystal, destroying it.
Nothing else was needed. The exchange happens in 0.2 seconds. Because of the speed that Arlan was in, the world takes time in processing what happened between the two. Destroying the crystal released all the miasma at once while the sword, after fulfilling its job, released its aura while destroying it in the process, making both strong sources of power collide and creating an explosion.
All sounds were buried in the explosion.
*[Corrupted Boar Lord] has been subjugated!
*[Level Up!] (x4)
*[Sword Aura Bearer] title has been acquired!
*[Aura/Ki stat has opened up! Current Aura/Ki: 0/555]
*[###] has invited you to [###'s ####]!
●○●○●○●○
"...So, everything has returned to normal now?" (Rowland)
"Yes, sir Guildmaster! Although it seems faster than that adventurer predicted, it is still a fortunate occasion! Should we inform the guild right now?"
"Yeah. The sooner the better. Compile all these reports and quickly determine which area is completely safe to hunt. Prioritize the lumber mill and the paddy fields" (Rowland)
"Understood!"
"I guess that would sum it up, the stampede aftermath. So, what does Seitael Arban, the head priest from the God of War church, come here for?" (Rowland)
As Rowland, the current guild master of the adventurer guild branch in Saga's City, finishes confirming various reports, he shifts his attention to a man in his 40s that is sitting in the room with him. Seitael Arban wears white clothes under his red robe. On the robe, there is a symbol of a gold burning shield embroidered on it.
"There's been things happening near our church lately which is why I want to find out everything about it from you. While that unsightly sword is gone now and they rebuild the fountain again, the people are still uneasy about the sudden appearance of those monsters in the middle of the city. Care to elaborate?" (Seitael)
"The cause of that incident was someone trying to forcefully put the sword under his control. That resulted in triggering the sword's skill. This has been explained by his majesty though" (Rowland)
"It's not about that. What I'm asking here is, won't the sword do the same thing again if no one is watching over it? Also, who is the person that is currently holding that sword?" (Rowland)
"That is incorrect. Someone is watching over it and that someone is the one who holds the sword. Of course, I can't possibly reveal the identity of a member of the adventurer guild to anyone" (Rowland)
"What do you mean by that? That sword exudes a dark aura, while it was at an insignificant amount, it still indicates that the sword is dangerous. The church was planning in purifying it when the incident happened" (Seitael)
"Is that so? Well, it isn't my problem now. Not just that I trust that person, but His Majesty gave his permission for that person to keep the sword. So, if you have a problem with that, you can ask His Majesty for it" (Rowland)
"What!? Why are you so stubborn!? You can just give me this person's identity! We can persuade him into letting us check on the sword!" (Seitael)
"As I said, I'm not going to reveal anything about that person" (Rowland)
"Why can't we just work together on this!? We are just making sure that the sword won't hurt other people by rampaging on its own, you see? Are you saying that you won't help other people?" (Seitael)
"You can try any persuasion on me however much you want, but I saw with my own eyes how tamed the sword was when that person held it" (Rowland)
"...What a stubborn man. There seems to be nothing further to talk about. I will just take my leave" (Seitael)
"I won't see you out since I still got plenty of work to do" (Rowland)
"..."
The head priest has left the room. Rowland takes a breath of relief as soon as the priest is gone. The way he handles matters is as professional as you can get from a guild master.
Rowland isn't born as a noble nor he taught etiquette before becoming a guild master but he learned how to communicate with them as he experienced various events as a guild master. Of course, this doesn't mean that he can get used to it. It was actually quite draining for him to hold his anger since he is an adventurer through and through.
A head priest visiting the adventurer guild is a rare occurrence. Rumors spread among adventurers but with the swiftness and professionalism of the staff, none of the rumors spread outside.
Seitael Arban was on a pilgrimage and he wasn't supposed to return for another week. Receiving an urgent summon from Big Church, he had no choice but to return earlier than he planned to. In fact, he just arrived yesterday and he immediately went to the adventurer guild.
While churches are accepted in most kingdoms and countries, they don't particularly have any involvement regarding the kingdom/country's decision. On top of that, adventurers aren't the type that believes in god by nature which is why the staff and the guildmaster won't provide any help to the church regarding personal issues. This doesn't mean that churches aren't trustworthy. The one who is appointed as "The Pope" was a title-in-name only and a minister that handles the religious state in that kingdom.
"The wielder of a weapon spirit... Who is this person?"
'A weapon that was basically untameable to be tamed when I was on a pilgrimage. Was this fate or something being played behind my back?'
As a head priest, although it is rare, he would receive 'revelation' from the Gods that he worships. The revelation can be in the form of a dream or an oracle. This pilgrimage that Seitael had was actually a revelation from a dream he had 5 months ago.
"I guess I will use their service to look into it"
'If I'm not mistaken, I just need to feed 3 black cats near any sewer entrance'
After going around feeding 3 black cats, someone from the sewer immediately approached Seitael. They went into the sewer and Seitael granted a meeting with their leader right away.
"Oh? What a rare sight we have here. What does a head priest do here that requires our service?" (Youm)
"I need you to find out about someone for me" (Seitael)
"And who might this person be?" (Youm)
"The one that has the spirit sword" (Seitael)
{Refuse it} (Rotton]
"...This is troubling" (Youm)
"What is it? Are you taking the request or not?" (Seitael)
'Something's wrong. Why is he hesitating?'
"I'm sorry, but we can't accept that request" (Youm)
"Huh? Why? If it's about money, I can pay you however much you want" (Seitael)
"It's not about money. Your request is just simply impossible for us to take" (Youm)
"Why? At least you can give me the reason, right?" (Seitael)
"That would be the same as me giving you information, right? I'm sorry, there will be no further discussion about this. Is there perhaps something else that we can help you with?" (Youm)
"What is the meaning of this!? You, Shadow Eye guild, are supposed to just accept a request and get paid! Should I just make you cease to exist from this city!?" (Seitael)
"...Is that a threat I heard from you?" (Youm)
All of a sudden, the room filled with suffocating air, killing intent.
"Are you baring your fang to me, the head priest of the God of War church?" (Seitael)
[You can provoke him however you like, Youm] (Rotton)
"...Your title means nothing in our eyes. If a war you seek, we won't back down" (Youm)
"...Tsk! Whatever. If you won't take it, so be it. I will be on my way then" (Seitael)
"Sure! Feel free to come by again!" (Youm)
It's like the situation earlier was a lie, Youm returned to his easygoing tone and waved his hand to Seitael.
'Hmm? Why is there no one in the sewer all of a sudden?'
Seitael left, feeling confused as he saw that the bustling sewer had gone quiet all of a sudden. He found the identity of the holder of the sword later on when he asked around the guards and some adventurers.
"Why do we have to ask everyone to hide?" (Youm)
Youm turns his back to a dark wall as he speaks. From within that darkness, Rotton walks slowly past the table.
"That man was actually thinking about your proposal" (Rotton)
"Hmm? But why... Ah, so that's why you ask everyone to hide" (Youm)
"Sir, a letter. From Neil" (Groger)
A bulky man enters the room without knocking. Despite his large build, his footsteps are as light as a cat's.
"...It seems the plan [Free-for-all] has succeeded" (Rotton)
"Oh!? Are we finally getting more members?" (Youm)
[Free-for-all] is a plan to take over the assassin and thief guilds that lost most of their members and their heads because of The Joyful Assassin's control. This plan was proposed by none other than Arlan, the person that Seitael is looking for.
In the letter, Neil informed Rotton that they managed to take over 5 guilds that were scattered between Saiga's Kingdom and Tulga's Kingdom. Tulga's Kingdom is located north of Saiga's Kingdom.
A team was sent with Neil being the leader of that team. Their mission was simply to take over all the losing dark guilds while gathering its members that scattered around. Within a week, they easily completed their initial plan.
"Has he not come back yet?"
"...I just got the report that he has arrived at the foot of the mountain. He's taking it easy so I estimate his party will arrive in about 3 hours"
"Is that so? Then tell the Five Fingers siblings to retreat"
"On it"
"In the meantime, we will move our base operation"
"Huh? Where to?"
"Above ground"
"!!"
Rotton has been busy for the last couple of months. He bought 3 buildings near the city center, hired some dark magician that specialized in earth magic to build a tunnel connecting the 3 buildings, and made a residential plot underground, away from the sewer which is planned to be used as their future base operation and has been left unused for 2 months now.
Rotton has never even once shown his face to any client which is why he can freely move above ground. Since the chance has arrived, he finally makes a move.
3 Buildings above ground will be 2 stores and a living quarters. The one facing the city center, and the Talas church, is a barbershop. The road that heads west on the left side of the barbershop, the north side, leads to the butcher shop, which is the second building. The last building will be the furthest from the city center but still close to each building, the living quarters.
The only building that is in function is actually the barber shop but it has stopped operating for a week now since its wall was destroyed during the incident. After renovating, Rotton decided to install the expensive glass windows that are adjacent to the store entrance. This way, he thought it would be a great idea in spying the church moved out in the open.
Of course, they will still have to pay attention to future clients using the old method to get a contact with the guild but it will be solved with time. For now, they will operate with different methods in the meantime while all members get used to the new environment. They also have to prepare a welcoming party for the new members.