Chapter 118
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 118
Chapter Title: The Vanishing Ring
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I reflexively drew up necromantic mana to throw up a barrier around us, but an unidentified power surging from the ring swept my own power aside.
Huh? Authority?
Even at the sixth circle, a force that overwhelmed me so one-sidedly was impossible to explain unless it belonged to one of the higher transcendents.
No way—it was supposed to be an ordinary ring. Since when do rings carry authority?
"I had a bad feeling about it."
Kwachang!!!!
It all happened in the literal blink of an eye.
The box was utterly shattered, and the ring floating alone was wrapped in some kind of power before vanishing into the space beyond.
Of course, I couldn't just let it slip away, so I'd slapped a powerful resonance spell on it—but I wasn't holding my breath for results.
The compass she'd dropped with a plop spun wildly at first, like it couldn't find its bearing, then froze stock-still, pointing stubbornly in one direction as if declaring the ring was no longer in this deep layer.
"……."
Luna stared blankly at the empty air where the ring had disappeared.
At the same time, transparent tears began welling up in her dazed eyes and trickling down.
"Luna."
"Le-Leon... something wrong with me. Eyes all blurry."
"……."
"Weird. Can't see good."
Still slumped on the ground, she wiped frantically at her eyes with her arms, tears dripping steadily, as if her own state felt utterly alien to her.
"Uh... uuuu……."
Soon enough, she started sniffling like she'd fallen into a panic.
Can't just leave her like this.
I approached slowly and patted her shoulder.
"It's not completely gone yet. Honestly, the authority was a surprise, but we can track it down again anytime."
"Uu... my fault, my fault. Shouldn't chased them away back then. Should just followed what they wanted."
"Chased them away? Who?"
"Leon, can't see."
She kept repeating the same words, as if this whole situation was utterly unfamiliar to her.
There wasn't much I could do in a moment like this.
The last time I'd comforted anyone was ages ago, with Melissa.
So all I could do was hold her close and soothe her blindly.
"It's okay. Plenty of chances left. We confirmed the thing's intact anyway, so we'll find it next time."
"Huu... huwaaaang."
As I comforted her, Luna burrowed into my arms like a frightened animal pup and broke into heaving sobs.
Her helpless crying—like a child weeping for the first time—burned itself into my mind.
No trace of Sullivan's influence on the Fate Lord.
Which meant someone else had tampered with the ring, and it got sucked into Sullivan's sub-space while crossing through dimensions.
I had no idea who was behind it, but it sure didn't leave me with warm fuzzies.
Unlike the expedition, the porters and defensive troops left behind in the fog zone waited in eerie silence, without a single skirmish.
Truth be told, even the remaining expedition members found it odd—they'd expected at least a monster or two to probe the camp.
But this camp was astonishingly still.
Not a single monster had shown up since the main force left to hunt the boss.
This can't be right? The thought dominated their minds, but reality was a bit different.
Chwaak!
Thud!!
Misha the head maid lightly flicked the blood from her small dagger and gazed impassively toward the forest beyond.
Twelve already. No rules, no strategy—just brute persistence.
Invasions were coming more frequently than expected.
She didn't know the depths inside out, but these assaults felt unnaturally off.
And right after the expedition plunged into the purple mist to hunt the boss, the monsters' patterns started shifting weirdly.
As if they were agitated.
Per Leon's orders, she quietly culled the intruders in secret, but even she couldn't silently handle an endless onslaught forever—not with limited hands.
Though the campfolk seemed to peg her as just another porter.
Then.
A massive energy surge rippled from the direction the expedition had gone.
She sheathed her blade, tucked it away, and melted seamlessly into the crowd of expedition members and porters.
"They're coming!"
"The captain's back!"
The first to appear were the mercenary band members trudging out with sour looks, led by Heracles Mercenary Corps Captain Albion.
"Ooooh!!"
Then came the rookies hauling chunks of the boss's corpse.
The porters went too—why are they carrying the load?
As confusion spread—
Leon emerged, piggybacking only Luna, when he should have been the one lugging gear.
Injured? Nah, he looked fine.
Why wasn't the porter carrying anything while the band members bore the burden?
Simple reason.
They'd volunteered.
Some were smitten by Leon's strength; others felt gratitude and pitched in.
"Captain!"
"Yeah. Everything quiet while we were gone?"
"Well... no monsters at all. It's weirdly peaceful."
"Is that so?"
Albion eyed Leon with a peculiar look.
Not a single one showing up? Definitely suspicious.
"Welcome back?"
"Did you... kill them all?"
Leon whispered to Misha the head maid where others couldn't hear, and she averted her gaze.
"I'm just a humble head maid..."
"You must be exhausted..."
Leon grinned mischievously, showing zero regard for her cover.
"But... why is Lady Luna...?"
Misha's expression stiffened oddly at the sight of Luna sniffling on his back.
"Long story. Don't worry about it."
Leon turned away.
"Pushing on, Captain Albion?"
"No. Mission accomplished, and though they look fine, everyone's worn out. We'll secure the retreat and head back quick. Any concerns on your end?"
"Nah, nothing like that."
His reply drew puzzled looks from the clueless porters.
Heracles' captain using utmost respect for a mere porter?
"That said, with so many tired, we'll rest a day before moving to clear the path."
"I'll handle path-clearing."
"Pardon? What do you—"
Leon stomped the ground lightly.
Shadows rippled, and spectral undead poured out.
Ones he'd stockpiled without feeding to Muyoung.
"Straight shot to the exit. Devour anything in the way."
At his command, Muyoung-led spectral undead surged forward.
Like a wave of black mist crashing toward the retreat path—the assault drew gasps from everyone.
-Grroooaaarrr!!!
-Kieeeek!!
Monster shrieks echoed soon after.
Muyoung at the wave's forefront was far too much for the outer deep-layer mobs.
Not that he'd started strong, but now he was a periodically empowered named-grade undead.
No way he'd be weak after all that rearing.
"They know now?"
"Something nasty came at us inside. Figured it'd wipe them without intervention."
"I see."
Misha looked unsurprised.
She'd taken to shrugging off Leon's antics lately, as if she'd given up comprehending him.
Sword Master was baffling enough; add arch-necromancer powers, and whatever was mentally easier.
"Path's clear. Move out when ready."
At Leon's words, everyone gawked at the spectral wave's scoured trail.
The Heracles Mercenary Corps might be mercenaries, but they rivaled top guilds in stature.
Other cities had bands too, but Revela's were elite-stacked, beyond mere namesakes.
The captain was an ex-knight order commander; mages included Mage Tower elites.
"What do you think?"
"Of what? He just seems normal—like us."
Those watching Leon and Albion chat post-dungeon were Heracles' rookie prospects.
Elf Repel, spiritist Rebecca, and a few more.
Not the bulk of the band, but pre-vetted elites in officer training.
Spiritist girl: Rebecca.
Elf: Repel.
Mage girl.
Vanguard boy.
Four total. All geniuses.
So their noses were naturally high.
They'd pushed to hunt the boss for that reason.
But Sullivan shattered their confidence; Leon, their peer, ground it to dust.
"Honeshtly... no confidence left."
The sword boy muttered blankly.
"Don't overthink. If he can, so can you."
Even elf Repel's words lacked conviction.
"You think you could pull that off?"
"Honestly..."
Repel trailed off, eyes downcast.
"Truth be told, that guy's conjuring dozens of magic circles at once—same caliber as the ones my Mage Tower master slaved over. No way I could."
"That much mana?"
"Mana's part, but... it's mana control."
The mage prodigy girl's limp mutter dragged the mood down.
No sugarcoating it—Leon's league dwarfed theirs.
Rebecca murmured softly.
"Is he the real genius?"
"You brought him. How'd you snag him?"
"Beats me. Three randos showed for porter recruiting, that's it."
"That's Leon Cascadia."
A young merc approached, ruffling the prospects' hair as they watched.
"Senior?"
"Heard the rumors? Guy who took down the Kraken with the Mielephon subjugation force. Thought it was hype, but seeing him... nah."
"Oh, yeah, vaguely."
Only then did they stare hard at Leon's back as he chatted with Albion.
"They call him that in rumors."
"How?"
"Too absurd for genius or dullard labels. Folks even whisper he's a transcendent playing human."
Ridiculous, but.
They silently fixed Leon in their sights, ignoring their chuckling senior.