Chapter 50 - Reading Script

Each of the Malekiths dangled midair, their limbs bound by nearly invisible threads that glistened faintly under the sunlight. They thrashed and writhed, trying to free themselves, but the more they struggled, the tighter the threads constricted.

“This is foul trickery!” one of them spat, baring his fangs as he tried to slice through the threads with his daggers, only for his arms to be yanked upward even higher, forcing him to drop his weapon and leaving him helplessly stretched out.

Another Malekith twisted his body, reaching for a dagger hidden at his waist, but the moment his fingers brushed the hilt, a sudden jolt of electricity surged through him. He screamed in agony as charred smoke hissed from his body.

Lucas crossed his arms, watching the struggling captives. “Hmm, they should be a bit grateful, right? I could’ve just vaporized them instead.” He snapped his fingers, and his mechanical drones hovered closer, their glowing barrels trained on the helpless Malekiths.

“But I’m not some murderhobo. I went with a more humane approach,” he sighed, shaking his head in disappointment. “Maybe this was the wrong approach.”

“How is this humane?!” one of the Malekiths snarled, his eyes bloodshot with rage.

Lucas shrugged, “Relatively speaking. Being alive is better than dead.”

Simultaneously, several mechanical soldiers approached the dangling Malekiths and began rifling through their belongings, confiscating anything that appeared valuable, rings, daggers, throwing knives, crushed herbs, anything that seemed worth taking.

“Oh? Interesting stuff you have here,” Lucas raised a brow as one of the mechanical soldiers handed him a ring.

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Storage Ring

Rank: Uncommon

A metal ring inscribed with Spatial Runes, capable of storing objects in a pocket space of three cubic meters.

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“Hah!” A Malekith snorted. “You can’t even use it if you wanted to! You don’t know how!”

Lucas glanced at the Malekith before looking back at the ring. Without a word, he injected his Psionical Force into it, breaking through the ‘security passcode’ with ease. A second later, several objects materialized on the ground out of thin air.

He looked over the scattered items, then turned back to the Malekith, a smirk tugging at his lips, “Sure. I don’t know how to.”

On the other hand, Samantha, who had just finished dealing with her opponent in the most ‘undignified’ manner possible, twirled her spear and flicked the blood off its tip. She turned toward the suspended Malekiths, a smirk curling her lips. “You guys sure were watching me closely before. What’s the matter? Not enjoying the show anymore?”

One of the Malekiths gritted his teeth. “The duel was sacred! You defiled it with your underhanded tactics!”

“Sacred?” Chloe, who had remained silent until now, snickered. Her gaze turned cold as she said, “You people were the ones who ambushed us and tried to kill us a few minutes ago.”

The Malekith trembled slightly at her gaze, but another sighed in resignation. “The duel was meant to determine strength, not to be interfered with. You-” he shot a glare at Lucas. “-broke the rules.”

Lucas blinked, then exchanged glances with the girls before shrugging. “Okay, so let me get this straight. You were totally fine with gutting us alive, but now you’re upset because I didn’t let you enjoy your little one-on-one fight?”

“Honor matters,” the Malekith spat.

Lucas raised an eyebrow, “Hmm. Honor, huh? I don’t think it means much when you’re hanging like a fish on a hook.”

Samantha snorted and interrupted, “Hey, are we interrogating them or putting them out of their misery?” She tapped her spear against the ground. “Because if it’s the latter, I know where to aim.”

At her words, every Malekith’s body stiffened, their expressions contorting in fear.

Chloe chuckled, “Oh, now you’re scared.”

Lucas sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “I mean, sure, I guess? Do whatever you want, Samantha,” he said, waving his hand dismissively.

Grinning, Samantha spun her spear playfully. “Gladly.” She took a deliberate step forward, eyeing the helpless Malekiths. “So, where should I start?” Her spear’s tip hovered near one of them, her grin widening. “I’ve always wondered what happens when you poke someone dangling like this.”

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The Malekiths stiffened, their already pale faces draining of color. They had seen what she had done to their comrade. Their supposed honor was no match for the sheer humiliation of suffering such an undignified fate.

“I’ll talk!” one of them shouted hastily, his voice cracking with panic. “I’ll tell you everything! Why we’re here, our purpose! Just don’t let her near me!”

Lucas’s lips twitched at the instant submission. “Well, that was fast.”

Chloe stepped forward and patted Samantha’s shoulder, saying, “Leave this to me.”

She stared at the bound Malekith. “Good choice,” she murmured. “Now, tell me, what’s your name and why are you here?”

Her voice carried a tinge of allure, a soothing cadence. The Malekith gulped hard at her melodious tone. “I’m Rayan Ayesha! W-we were sent to scout…” He hesitated, glancing at his comrades as if seeking approval, but none dared to intervene.

“Hmm? Scout? For what?” Chloe tilted her head.

Rayan Ayesha hesitated again, his eyes darting toward his comrades. However, they all dodged his pleading gaze. Meanwhile, Samantha gently stroked her spear and smiled. “Take your time. Not like I’m in a rush or anything.”

“You heard her. Not like she’s in a rush or anything,” Chloe added with a small smile.

But to Rayan, it was as though two demons were grinning at him. His face paled further, and he blurted, “F-for an invasion!”

Chloe’s eyes gleamed, and she leaned in slightly, her voice dropping to a near whisper. “Invasion? That’s a rather heavy word. Care to elaborate?”

Rayan gulped. “Our clan… we received orders to confirm whether this place was viable for a base. If it was, the main force would come to claim it.”

Chloe hummed thoughtfully. “And why this particular location?”

“It’s…” Rayan hesitated again. Chloe’s gaze turned cold, and her tone became more threatening. “Mr. Rayan, you’ve been very helpful so far. It would be a shame if you suddenly weren’t.”

Meanwhile, Lucas stroked his chin and frowned as his mind raced, analyzing the Malekith’s words. ‘Is this like one of those hidden legendary things for people to uncover beneath the ruin? Sounds troubling. This place is quite close to the Base. Can’t let these folks squat here. Should I just…?’

He snapped his fingers, and in an instant, Jager flew next to him and bowed slightly. “Master Lucas.”

“Jager, any anomalies here?” Lucas asked while eyeing the rune-carved ruins.

Jager’s red lens flickered as it replied, “Yes, sir. The Harold counter has detected radiation of Mana Energy coming from the ruins. The current reading is peaking at seventy-seven.”

The Harold counter was a device created by Harold Mopha to detect the energy emitted by Mophalite, which was essentially pure Mana Energy. Lucas had inferred that when Mana Energy reached a certain density, a dungeon might form. Thus, he had been using the counter to measure Mana Energy levels to predict and pinpoint dungeon locations.

From past readings, a level between 0 to 29 suggested the formation of a Mophalite vein. A 30 to 49 reading indicated a low-level dungeon. 50 to 69 suggested a mid-level dungeon. 70 to 89 meant a high-level dungeon, while anything from 90 to 100 was an extremely high-level dungeon.

However, as a Player, Lucas could determine the level of a dungeon just by touching it. Thus, this data was only used as a reference for Jager and the other scout machinery he had dispatched.

Lucas turned to Rayan, who was still dangling midair, saying in a casual tone, “So, your clan was after whatever’s down there. Something that can tip the balance of war in your favor, right? An advantage you need to secure before anyone else so your clan has the strength to face your dear neighbors, Dark Reunion, and the other forces. Classic.”

Rayan and the other Malekiths stared at Lucas, their astonishment evident in their wide, disbelieving eyes. Each word he spoke struck the bullseye, unraveling their true purpose with eerie precision.

They were here to obtain whatever treasure lay hidden within the ruins, something that could serve as their clan’s trump card in the looming war. But this mission was classified at the highest level. Even some of their inner members were left in the dark, yet this outsider had just spelled it out like he was reading off a script.

“How…” Rayan’s voice trembled. “How do you know that?!”

Lucas shrugged, “Come on, don’t make it sound so dramatic. This is, like, the most basic setup ever.” Shaking his head in disappointment, he continued, “A secret mission to secure an ancient power before war breaks out? Yeah, super original. Classic clan conflict move.”

The Malekiths exchanged uneasy glances. Even though Lucas sounded like he was just casually poking fun at their predicament, there was a weight behind his words that made their stomachs churn.

“You act as though this is some cheap story,” one of the Malekiths growled, gritting his teeth.

Lucas smirked, “Because it kind of is. I’ve seen this plotline play out so many times before. Let me guess, your elders got wind of some ancient remnant buried here, and they sent a not-so-covert team, like you bunch, to confirm it, and once you report back, the main force rolls in to secure it before your enemies do. Am I right? Or should I continue from here? I can even tell you how this all plays out depending on whether you succeed or fail.”

Rayan’s mouth opened slightly, but no words came out. He wanted to deny it. He wanted to call Lucas a liar. But what was the point? Everything he said was the truth.

One of the Malekiths gnashed his teeth, “If you already know everything, then what do you want from us, earless?”

“Earless?” Lucas was taken aback by the term before bursting into laughter, “Your vocabulary is almost as bad as those bats’ ‘inferior being’ insult.”

Chloe grabbed the Malekith’s face and uttered coldly, “I don’t think you’re in a position to be throwing racial slurs at us, greasy rat.”

“G-g-greasy rat?! How da-! Oof!”

Before the Malekith could finish his outburst, he felt a sharp pain in his rear. Twitching his head, he saw a wooden stick lodged into his backside, courtesy of Samantha, who was snickering at him.

All of a sudden, Samantha’s expression shifted. She frowned and snapped her head toward the ruins. At the same time, Lucas and Chloe did the same.

Lucas hurriedly questioned, “Jager! What’s the reading?”

“It’s fluctuating, sir. A dungeon break is occurring,” Jager answered, its red lens flickering.

“A dungeon break,” Lucas murmured under his breath.