Dungeon of Pride, Laplace

775 Chapter 775- Mars (2)

The location on the north side was successfully captured. The adventurers released the captive hostages and explained the situation. Those who found their families, cried in joy and relief in their reunion, just like Blake and Mona.

"She is fine, I healed all her injuries. She just needs rest, being held captive here must have drained her mentally and physically" the healer advised.

Blake pulled his sister and carried her on his back. Now that the rescue was completed, it was time to get the hell out of here.

"Those who are newbies, carry the hostages who can't walk by themselves. The veterans make sure to clear a path for them. The town is overrun by monsters, make sure you don't let your guard down".

Carrying the hostages, the adventurers slowly exited the building and made their way back to their base. On their way, they had to repeatedly change their route due to the monsters overflowing the streets and roads.

However, the monsters were the least of their worries as they also had to hide from the members of the criminal organisation who spotted them a few times but were beaten back.

Just like that, they made their way around the town. Weirdly enough, for some reason they did not encounter any strong opponent on their way.

"The building owned by the Serene Palace Merchant Guild, is just a couple of blocks from here. If we run straight, we ought to make it in a couple of minutes. Hang in there for a little more while"

Blake spoke raising everyone's morale. Although he said that to his teammates, it was in essence directed towards the non combatants they were escorting.

"Alright, you can leave it to us, Blake. We will make sure to properly protect them. That said, it is very weird. We have come in range of the monsters to sense us many times. Yet none of the times were we attacked. Even the ones that have heightened senses, ignored our presence and continued to attack the town"

"No matter how you see it, they are behaving weirdly. It is as if they do not care about us, destroying the town and causing Mayhem is their main goal" Wyot analysed.

"You are probably thinking too much. They are monsters after all, they do not care about what they destroy. We weren't attacked probably because their focus was on something else"…

"You might be right"

Although Blake made up some excuse to convince Wyot, he himself was not convinced by his words at all. First, it was the princess predicting the dungeon overflow and then there were these monsters who kept ignoring them.

It was commonly known that the monsters were feral and extremely aggressive in nature. They were ruled by instinct to kill and hunt and would attack anyone. Except for the sentient and aberrant ones that infrequently appeared, almost all the time that was the case.

However, the monsters overflowing the tower town, flipped that concept on its head. Not only different races were collaborating with each other, but they were also moving in an organised way, ignoring everyone other than the members of the criminal organisations. Almost as if somebody was leading them.

"Your Highness, what have you been up to?" Blake muttered to himself.

From the time of Cynthia's disappearance and her miraculous return with strong individuals by her side and then this. If he connected the dots, a terrifying thought appeared in his head.

Nevertheless, since he didn't want to jump to any conclusion, he quickly dispersed such thoughts and focused on his mission at hand.

The princess would never betray them, or else she wouldn't have helped them to rescue their families. That's right, what he needed to do right now was not to question her but to fulfil his duty to the best of his abilities.

On his mark, the adventurers and the people they were escorting, started running. The monsters were all focused on the ones that were fighting back providing them the perfect distraction.

Just as they passed the first two blocks and were about to reach their destination, Blake came to a stop at the third block.

"What's wrong Blake? Let's get the hell out of here while the monsters are still distracted" Wyot asked noticing his friend stop running.

"Please take her with you, I have something I urgently need to see"

Before he could get any answer, Blake asked him to take care of his sister and swiftly took off. The direction he was headed for was where the monsters were swarming from.

"It can't be, was I mistaken? However, there is no way I will forget that aura, the nightmare that still haunts me to this day. It has to be that thing"

Blake muttered to himself, increasing his speed even further. Soon, he arrived on the rooftop of the Adventurer's Association building.

Standing away from him, facing below was a figure watching the swarm of monsters flood the town. As if perceiving his presence, the figure turned around and looked at him.

Standing at a towering height, they had a physique that was the manifestation of both power and agility. Crimson horns grew atop their heads, like wicked thorns, they curved majestically while releasing an ominous aura.

The figure possessed two pairs of eyes strategically placed one below the other. They gleam with an otherworldly intelligence, glowing like coals in the depths of the night. Their body was enveloped in flames, burning from the shoulder blades, the fire cascaded down to their shoulder like a mane.

Their feet which were caught in perpetual fire, left fiery footprints behind. Draped in ancient yet which still retains its undiminished grandeurs, the armour that the figure wore bore the marks and tales of battles long fought.

.

.

At the same time… Dungeon Laplace, Main Floor, White Palace…

Simon walked inside the Main Hall after finishing his training. Waiting inside, were his closest aide and family.

As he walked in, Bea came over serving him tea and light refreshments. Simon sat down and enjoyed their company.

"It looks like your body has completely adapted to your new rank" Irene commented observing his obvious growth.

Just like she said, be it his aura or his presence, it was nothing like before. He had not only become physically stronger, but the entire air around him had changed. It was like watching a calm sea suddenly become stormy and turbulent.

That was the level of change that Simon had undergone. That's right, he had finally reached the Demon Marquess rank, standing at level 608.

After becoming a Demon Marquess, there was no obvious external change. Instead, all progress was internal. He felt like an invisible ceiling that had been suppressing his progress and blocking out his view, suddenly disappear giving way to a clear blue sky.

He felt like he had soared, crossing one realm and coming to the other. From this vantage point, the view that he saw was also different.

If he had to relate it, the change would be like an old piece of machinery getting a cutting edge upgrade. That was the feeling he was getting right now. He felt like he could do everything that his previous self was incapable of. Everything and anything came to him easily.

So this was Demon Marquess… Simon clenched his hands, he had stepped one step closer to his goal once again.

At the level and rank he was in, he could easily be counted as the top twenty per cent of the strongest people in the world. He was worthy to look down on the myriad life forms of the world.

Sparked by the Fragments inside him, the rank up not only made him more powerful, but it also boosted his ego and ambitions. Unbeknownst to him, his perspective and outlook changed. Whether it be his bearing or temperament, they carried a faint trace of arrogance now.

These changes were subtle, causing the person himself to be unaware of it. For him, nothing much changed other than him getting stronger. However, for those close to him, they could almost see those changes.

"Although I have reached the Demon Marquess rank, there is much progress that needs to be made" Simon replied.

It hadn't been long since he had reached this rank as such, he wanted to try out various things and improve all of his skills and magic.

"By the way, how goes Annette and the other's mission? Did they send any news back?"

He questioned looking at Irene. These past few days, he was busy trying to rank up as such, Irene was the one who received all the updates from his subordinates.

"It appears that they are doing well. They have already found the ones who are responsible for the current condition of the tower" Irene answered passing him an Echomir plate.

"Hoh, they are already raiding the base of the criminal organisations huh? It's a good thing that I sent him there. Cynthia is doing a great job too, just her influence allowed all the adventurers to band together under one banner. If she keeps this up, soon she will become the hero of the tower town"

Reading the progress made by his subordinates, a smile appeared on Simon's face.

"Is this the reason why you sent them there?"…

"Yeah, as you know even if I or my subordinates made the move and cleared the town of its filth, it would only serve to make the people of the Tower Town who were already terror struck by the criminal organisation, to be even more afraid. This would run contrary to what I want to achieve"

"The Tower Town will become the lifeblood of the dungeon in the near future. The benefit it would provide would be enormous, there is no way I will allow it to destroy itself even by my own hands"

Who could this mysterious aide be?

ViciousPepper