Chapter 201 – Rescue (3)
A scorching wind swept through the space,
followed immediately by a chain of explosions.
A threat that had erupted out of nowhere.
Verden and Edmon instantly stirred their magic power. Both were beings who had long since surpassed the standard as those who walked the way of magic.
They didn't need to speak to know how to respond.
Whoooosh!
Edmon's wind softened the impact of the explosions, and Verden's flame blocked the searing heat.
Crack-crash.
Chunks of stone fell from the cracked ceiling.
But it wasn't enough to pierce through their veils. Had the entire laboratory collapsed, it would have been disastrous, but fortunately, that didn't happen.
At last, the roaring explosions came to an end.
As the veils faded, the devastated corridor revealed itself.
"...There's definitely something here."
"Ahem, hem!"
Edmon cleared his throat loudly.
To think his words would become reality.
Of course, it wasn't his fault, but he still felt awkward.
Clearing his throat, Edmon shifted the subject.
"B-but still, for such a sudden explosion… judging from the lingering magic power, it clearly wasn't accidental. Could it be, that the laboratory was meant to be buried without a trace?"
The aftermath of the blast was severe.
The corridor of the laboratory had become a ruin in an instant. Looking at the ceiling, the floor, and the walls, the foundation had weakened overall.
The damage inside was greater than outside.
There was a strong sense of deliberate intent.
But Verden was doubtful of Edmon's assumption.
"If the experiment had already ended, then disposing of the laboratory would be the natural course. But, even so, this explosion is far too inefficient."
What would Verden have done?
Naturally, he would have targeted the load-bearing points of the ceiling to bring it down. A single decisive collapse, no need to strike twice.
'Compared to that, this laboratory is relatively intact.'
Outwardly, it was messy and dirty, but the durability was still serviceable.
It was hard to believe that a royal court Mage would have handled the matter so sloppily. Even as a mistake, it was disgraceful.
"Then, are you saying someone tampered with it?"
"There is that possibility."
Well, maybe not a certainty, but…
Either way, one thing was clear: something was happening inside this laboratory.
Exploration was unavoidable.
And so was battle. They had to assume every possibility and move forward with heightened caution. Everyone braced themselves with renewed resolve.
And then—
"…?!"
A presence stirred behind the wall.
Verden and Karans reacted first, with Edmon and the spirits following. Their mana circuits were already active when the wall crumbled.
And a man emerged.
"Damn it, thought I'd die buried in there… huh?"
Oesu, Linus Voltimoog.
His eyes met those of Verden's party.
Silence settled.
The first to break it was Verden.
"Linus?"
"Sh*t, more Mages?!"
Linus grabbed a heavy stone chunk and hurled it with all his might.
***
Dwarves are a race of metal and creation.
Linus had received their teachings, and combined with environment, talent, and effort, he had walked the path of a craftsman.
With his powerful body as a foundation, he had also mastered the war hammer, earning the status of a Platinum Rank adventurer.
That much had not changed, even with his missing right arm.
The loss of an arm was crippling, yet Linus never gave up.
He used other parts of his body to compensate, and in time, he became a remarkable maker of magical artifacts, renowned as Oesu.
Of course, his combat ability never fully returned.
Still, he was far from powerless.
A master of survival—
That was Linus Voltimoog.
"Just get lost, will you?!"
The thrown stone chunk sped directly for Verden's head.
There was no need to dodge, nor to cast a spell. The Mage's Regret's automatic mana barrier would block it easily.
At that moment, Karans stepped forward.
The Elf wielding a steel dagger swung his arm.
Without a sound, the projectile's path shifted under the blade's edge and struck the wall. A clean, precise, flawless movement.
"I shall subdue him, brother."
Karans's figure blurred.
With a strike of his foot, he closed the distance to Linus in a flash. The muscular right arm came swinging, but not even close to landing.
Karans slipped into the opening and wrapped around Linus.
"You son of a—!"
In an instant, Linus was taken down, his leg locked in a firm hold.
The joint lock was tight.
If he struggled, Karans would snap his ankle without changing expression. Linus sensed it, but he refused to give up resistance.
'If I'm caught here, I'm finished.'
He wouldn't even have time to look for an opening—he'd be disposed of on the spot.
He had to survive.
He had endured all this time for that very reason.
One leg breaking was nothing in comparison.
But before he could escape, Verden stepped forward, Oculus aimed.
Bloodshot veins filled Linus's eyes.
"Y-you bastards… you think I'll die quietly?! Let me go, before I smash that face of yours!"
"Calm yourself, Linus Voltimoog."
"Sh*t, how can I calm down when I'm about to—huh?"
Linus blinked.
Why weren't they killing him outright?
He had already outlived his usefulness, and he had lured them into a trap—there was no reason to spare him. And yet, the voice he heard was unfamiliar.
Linus cautiously raised his head.
A Mage with gray hair stood before him.
He had been trapped here for years, but he had never seen this face before. And unlike that damned royal court Mage, this one felt entirely different.
And the one pinning his leg was none other than an Elf. Through the robe, he caught sight of the long, pointed ears.
'Wait, why is there… an Elf?'
Elves were test subjects.
And by now, they should have all been disposed of.
Something was off.
Perhaps he had made a serious misjudgment.
As Linus's agitation gradually subsided, Verden lowered the Oculus.
"Now we can talk."
***
There was no time for lengthy explanations.
Verden kept his account brief, just enough for Linus to grasp the situation.
If he refused to accept the situation and continued resisting, they had intended to knock him out and drag him along, but fortunately, it didn't come to that.
Linus, slumped on the floor, rubbed at his leg.
"Damn it, if you came to rescue me, you should've said so earlier. I've already lost an arm, and now I almost lost a leg too."
"So, you've accepted?"
"Whether I like it or not, I have to. The fact that you didn't kill me on the spot says enough. Hey, could you give me a hand up?"
Linus extended his hand toward Karans.
Dirty or not, it was still a human hand.
Karans grimaced with genuine disgust and turned his eyes aside.
With a sigh, Edmon pulled Linus to his feet.
"Huu, thanks for the help. By the way, I've heard Elves hate humans, guess it's true. Even Dwarves aren't this bad."
"Heh, once you get used to it, it's easier."
"Don't compare me to other races."
"Enough chatter."
At Verden's interruption, everyone fell silent.
"Linus, there's something I want to ask."
"Hm? What is it?"
"There was an explosion just now, was that your doing?"
"Ah, that? Yeah, that was me."
Linus nodded.
"I tampered with the mana concentrator and the mana stone that served as fuel. When the two were separated, the mana inside the stone would burst out, triggering a chain reaction."
If possible, he wanted to hasten his escape.
But if he hadn't hidden it that way, he would have been caught immediately. It was hard enough to fool Leonil's eyes, let alone other royal court Mages.
"I didn't know the exact timing, so I just stalled however I could. Guess my luck hasn't run out yet. It was close, but at least I managed to escape like this."
"…There are no other survivors?"
"None, I'd say. Even if there were, they'd have already been disposed of. The fact that they disassembled the mana concentrator and came to kill me means this place isn't needed anymore. I heard they even slaughtered every outside Mage they had brought in."
Through Karans, he had already realized no Elf was left alive.
But to hear that the other test subjects, the trait-holders, had also been killed—
It wasn't unexpected, yet it was still disheartening, especially for Verden.
"What now, Asher? Will we continue exploring?"
The primary objective's safety had been secured.
If they left now, the rescue would be a success.
Yet Verden could not answer immediately.
There was always the chance that another test subject still lived.
Moreover, Linus's eyes burned with the will to survive.
There was no guarantee he wasn't lying to save his own life. Verden wanted to believe him, but…
His hesitation lasted only a moment.
"We'll withdraw."
"Got it…"
"But first, there's something we need to deal with."
Verden's gaze turned down the corridor.
If one listened closely, the sound of wind being sliced could be heard, accompanied by magic power. Soon, two Mages appeared before them.
"Found you, Voltimoog…!!"
Their voices thick with fury.
***
"R-royal court Mages!"
Linus recoiled in alarm.
The sight of the two was anything but reassuring.
The one who had disassembled the mana concentrator—
He had been caught directly in the explosion at point-blank range. It had been so sudden, he hadn't even had time to respond.
His face, and both arms, were ravaged with severe burns, his appearance utterly wretched. Had his resistance to the elements been any weaker, he would have been killed outright.
Compared to him, Herian had escaped unharmed.
At the very moment his skin was about to burn, he had wrapped himself in a veil of ice. Even so, his clothes were singed with soot he hadn't fully blocked.
Neither looked fitting of a royal court Mage.
"Persistent bastards, I thought at least one of you would've died…!"
"Did you really think such a trick would work on us? The ones dying here are you. But…"
Herian's eyes turned toward Verden.
"Who are you? Lord Leonil never mentioned outsiders coming here."
"Were all the test subjects disposed of?"
"Test subjects…?"
Herian hesitated, then nodded.
The possibility of intruders had never crossed his mind. The other royal court Mage thought the same.
"As Lord commanded, we disposed of them all days ago. It's been confirmed."
"Not a single one?"
"Not a single one left."
Herian affirmed.
"But why do you ask that? More importantly, which faction are you…?"
"Wait."
The burned Mage's gaze froze.
A robed old man.
Wrinkles around his eyes, a neatly kept beard. His appearance was strangely familiar. His eyes widened as recognition struck.
"Edmon…?!"
A pillar of House Esperanza.
A High Magus of the Fifth Tier, bearer of the epithet Headwind, Edmon Rodliner. A man who should not, could not, be here. One of the kingdom's foremost powers.
Herian too reacted in shock.
"Ro-Rodliner! Why are you here?!"
"Heh, that's what I'd like to ask."
Edmon shed his robe.
Gripping his staff firmly, he turned to Verden.
"It seems we've been exposed, what do you propose?"
What else?
No words were needed, everyone knew the answer.
Verden and Karans's magic flared.
"We'll deal with them here."
That had been the plan from the start.