Chapter 185: An Important Foundation
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 185: An Important Foundation
“It’s just as I heard.”
The 31st floor of the Calax Great Labyrinth. The 4th Stratum was a ruin-type terrain where a crumbled ancient city lay.
It was a place of white stone buildings saturated with lost technology, built in a peculiar location surrounded on all sides by high mountains. Magic golems still roamed the area, faithfully following orders from an era long past.
There were automated attack turrets equipped with self-defense systems, and even the occasional small animal scurrying about.
It was a brutal place that utterly destroyed anything it deemed a threat.
Is this the blind spot the guard mentioned?
After smashing the magic golems and turrets in his path, Aven entered a relatively intact building, and the attacks finally ceased.
This area, where glimpses of a past civilization remained, was a treasure trove for explorers and a place where many useful artifacts were unearthed. Not that he intended to hunker down here until he found good gear, though.
“It’s eerie.”
* * *
Mad Popenes brushed his trembling forearms, making a fuss in his excitement. Soon regaining his composure, a single question lingered in his mind.
What is Terry’s goal?
Recently, a report had been submitted to the Calax branch of the Page of Arcana. It was the research results regarding an unidentified skill, sent in by a licensed appraiser.
From a mage’s perspective, it was an incredibly intriguing report.
“Using the bodies of living beings stored within oneself…”
For the past several decades, the primary public interest of the Page of Arcana had been exactly this.
“Edward. How is the experiment for the artificial replication of the Physical Barrier Artifact coming along?”
“It is still in the experimental stage. Because there are fewer cases to study than with Teleportation Artifacts, we are facing some difficulties…”
“I see. Understood. I’ll be expecting good news, then.”
Their public focus was the creation of ‘artificial artifacts.’ Despite numerous technological advances and the development of various practical spells, the Page of Arcana’s research department was still unable to replicate the magic circuits of ‘artifacts’ seemingly made in the distant past.
While successful cases of artificial manufacturing were increasing for Teleportation Artifacts, which were frequently discovered, perfectly replicating the ancient magic circuits engraved upon them remained a challenge.
However, as mentioned, this was merely the ‘publicly revealed’ interest of the Page of Arcana.
What they truly desired was something else: replicating a human’s mana circuit, which was far more complex, diverse, and powerful than any artifact.
‘Artificial Skill Engraving.’
Mad Popenes glanced at the title of the Class 1 classified research report. They had already reached the 14th experiment, having perfectly mapped the structures of skills that possessed simple circuits but outstanding power.
Finally, they had succeeded in engraving a multitude of artificial skills into a test subject.
“Whew… it’s difficult.”
Erasing was easy, but drawing was hard. Erasing skills obtained from the labyrinth had been made possible through three years of intensive study by those in the ‘appraiser’ profession, but the reverse remained a daunting task.
Currently, the only successful experimental subject held by the Calax branch of the Page of Arcana was XIV. As the name suggested, it was the 14th subject.
But this new skill mentioned in the report—didn’t it mean that everything they had struggled and agonized over could be rendered obsolete by this single skill?
Can’t we just consume a person and use their body?
The new report from the junior appraiser, Ravi Sateria, was fascinating.
Thus, his goal was to either kill the explorer ‘Aven’ to recover the corpse or win him over to analyze the skill in detail.
When it comes to bringing people in, hounds are the best.
Though he didn't show it, he inwardly looked down on the Antonio Brotherhood, who wagged their tails at the scent of money. Still, it was true they were useful for handling dirty work.
Even the humans needed for the artificial skill engraving experiments had been procured through the Antonio Brotherhood. They were slaves who had nearly become monster feed during illegal Bestiari matches in the underground arena, bought for a pittance and kept alive. Subject ‘Siv’ had to follow his every command.
After all, he was Siv's savior.
“Antoinette. I understand my reasons, but why do you need him?”
“He killed our precious comrade. Isn't that reason enough?”
Mystery Antoinette replied with her usual dry smile, devoid of both meaning and emotion. Mad Popenes knew her answer wasn't the truth; its deeper meaning was ‘don’t pry any further.’
A common whore who’d sell her body for a few coins.
“Aha, I see.”
Slap!
“Siv? Does it hurt?”
“It hurts a little.”
He vented his anger and cooled his head by striking the cheek of Siv, his successful experiment and submissive puppet.
Such an easy man to read.
Of course, Mystery Antoinette looked down on Mad Popenes just as much. She had a grand plan that he couldn't even fathom.
* * *
A few days ago, inside the 30th floor of the Calax Great Labyrinth.
In front of Megido Lake.
“Miss, it seems Orion Aura is currently ascending from the 60th floor.”
“I see. Shall we begin, then?”
Mystery Antoinette stood there with explorers belonging to the Antonio Brotherhood. In her small hands, she held an artifact called ‘Clinging Death.’
The moment mana was infused into Clinging Death after designating a specific target, the victim would experience ever-increasing pain and madness until they inevitably died within three months.
Orion Aura was soon due to return to the surface for the festival period. The Megido Serpent sleeping in Megido Lake never left its waters, but it possessed power far beyond what its status as a 3rd Stratum boss suggested.
Naturally, the explorers of the Mayerbridge Union wouldn't just ignore such a powerful boss entity running wild on the 30th floor.
“They will surely try to subjugate the rampaging Megido Serpent during their return.”
The plan was to lure the powerful Megido Serpent out of the lake and turn it into an Irregular Entity that they would be forced to kill. Among those in the Antonio Brotherhood, there was someone with a skill that could forcibly mutate mana to create an Irregular Entity.
“Now, Clinging Death… please, vent your wrath upon a pitiful, short-lived soul.”
Ting!
Kneeling on the grass, she held Clinging Death up to shoulder height. The artifact, shaped like a pitch-black skull, began to rattle its teeth and vibrate frantically.
Sssss…
Soon, black mist flowed from its gaping mouth, encroaching upon Megido Lake. Before long, death had clung to the Megido Serpent. Shortly after, the red light in the black skull’s eyes flickered out, and it began to crumble.
After Aelmeri used her skill on the Megido Serpent, which was writhing in agony, to forcibly turn it into an Irregular Entity, they easily returned to the surface via a Teleportation Artifact.
“The hypocrites… shall meet their end through their own good deeds.”
This was another ability of Clinging Death. If the designated target was killed by someone else within three months, the effect would transfer to the killer.
“Given the personality of Soles Getia, the leader of Orion Aura, he will likely be the one to deliver the final blow.”
In other words, Mystery Antoinette had plotted to kill Soles Getia—the leader of Orion Aura, the head of the Mayerbridge Union, and an untouchable Orichalcum-grade explorer.
However, this plan had been derailed by the unexpected actions of an anonymous explorer.
* * *
“The Megido Serpent was subjugated… by someone else?”
“…Yes, that is correct.”
“His name?”
“The explorer Aven. He is currently Gold Grade, but it appears he will be promoted to Cobalt Grade due to this incident.”
“A double promotion. There will be backlash.”
After a moment of brief deliberation, Mystery Antoinette came up with a clever idea.
“We can brainwash and incite the Cobalt-grade explorers of the Northeast to kill him. Once the effect of Clinging Death transfers to another explorer, we can brainwash that person and induce them into a life-and-death struggle with Soles Getia.”
Mystery Antoinette assumed that the effect of Clinging Death had passed to the explorer named Aven. By killing him, the effect would transfer to someone else, who would then be pitted against Soles Getia, finally delivering Clinging Death to its intended target.
The woman, who had formulated a long-term plan in a matter of seconds that a normal person couldn't even conceive, began to act once more.
“Gather the members of the Small and Medium Clan Alliance we brainwashed previously and lead the explorer Aven to the Grand Martial Arena. If he dies during a sparring match there, that’s the end of it. Even if he doesn't, the destruction of the arena is expected.”
“Is that so?”
“The repair costs will be difficult to handle. Even if the Mayerbridge Union assists in the restoration, the responsibility for the debt will fall on the small and medium clans, as they were the ones who initiated it. We will lure them with a financial contract to kill Aven during the festival and reclaim Clinging Death.”
“…Understood.”
“At midnight on the Foundation Day, if Aven participates in the match, we strike inside the labyrinth. Even if he doesn't, the number of explorers remaining in the city will be significantly lower. We will aim for that moment.”
The subordinate listening to the orders couldn't help but be inwardly amazed. How could she pour out plans as easily as breathing? While praising her cunning, he did not forget to feel a sense of dread.
“This will be an important foundation for the power struggle within Calax over the coming decades. The death of Soles Getia, that is.”
Mystery Antoinette flashed a thin smile. But as always, it was merely a dry, meaningless expression that revealed no emotion.