novelnext Chapter 178 : Nabrash (2)
Chapter 178 : Nabrash (2)
Chapter 178: Nabrash (2)
The hole Dexter had come out of was, as expected, no ordinary entrance.
The forty Adventurers threw themselves into the hole with practiced ease.
Ordinarily, they should have crashed straight down and died, but every one of them landed slowly.
They descended against gravity at a gradual pace, and it felt as though they were swimming underwater.
“It would be best to refrain from doing anything that draws attention once we go in.”
Dexter guided Robin’s group with utmost politeness.
Now that the hierarchy had been established, he seemed to have no complaints about following it.
He was smarter than he looked.
“There are more people than I expected.”
“If you add them all up, there are probably over ten thousand.”
“Ten thousand?”
“There are even people who were born and raised here.”
The more he heard, the more astonishing it became.
It was not the level of a small village; it truly was a city of its own.
“Does it make sense that a city of this size hasn’t become known?”
“Those who need to know probably all know. There have always been people who settled in the Uncharted Area.”
Robin keenly felt the importance of information networks.
From what he heard, most Gold-Ranked Adventurers seemed to know of Nabrash’s existence.
‘Why didn’t Serena know?’
He glanced to the side and saw her walking while chewing on a sandwich.
When their eyes met, she wiped her mouth and asked,
“Do you want some?”
“No.”
As long as she was skilled, what did it matter?
For Serena, who preferred moving independently, it was probably more convenient not to pass through Nabrash.
At a glance, the underground city looked no different from an alley market.
After wandering through the tangled maze of streets, they arrived at Dexter’s Clan House.
“Looks like you live pretty well around here.”
The Clan House was visibly better than the surrounding buildings.
Among the shabby sand houses stood a three-story mansion, and anyone could sense the authority it carried.
When the residents saw that Dexter had returned, they naturally stepped aside.
“I’ll have the others wait outside.”
“Isn’t this your house? Come in and rest.”
Dexter rolled his eyes for a moment, as though he hadn’t expected Robin to say that.
“Then I’ll leave only the minimum number behind.”
In the end, leaving two men at the front gate, they entered the Clan House.
The structure resembled a combination of the Adventurers’ Guild and a Rest Stop.
It was intuitive; one could tell at a glance where everything was.
Dexter opened what appeared to be a room fit for someone of high rank, and once inside, the group leaned back against the soft sofas.
“What are your impressions of Nabrash?”
“Other than it being dark, it’s not much different from the Empire.”
“District 7 is fairly livable. I’m relieved it doesn’t seem too inconvenient for you.”
“Get to the point. What’s the operation?”
Dexter opened a cabinet and brought out a small jewel box.
Click.
Inside the box, after he released the clasp and opened it, lay a single round stone.
“What is this?”
As Sigbard reached to pick it up, Dexter quickly shut the lid.
“Please be careful. It’s not an ordinary stone.”
When Sigbard stared at him silently, Dexter added a few words.
“Th-that… If I offended you, I apologize.”
“No. It must be a stone that requires careful handling.”
“That’s right. Please don’t be surprised when you hear this. What this is, is…….”
Robin had seen a stone similar to that before.
He had even used one himself.
“Dragon Speech Stone.”
“How did you know?”
“I’ve used one.”
“You mean a Dragon Speech Stone……?”
Leaving behind Dexter, who wore an expression of disbelief, Serena opened the jewel box and glanced over it.
“It’s definitely a Dragon Speech Stone. How did you get it?”
If one did not look carefully, it would go unnoticed, but upon closer inspection, a peculiar pattern was engraved in the center of the stone.
“Since you know what a Dragon Speech Stone is, this will be quick. You just need to install this in Drake’s residence.”
“What Dragon Speech is contained in it?”
“‘Sleep.’”
They would put Drake to sleep using Dragon Speech and then finish him off.
It was an extremely simple plan.
Of course, in reality, there were many hurdles to overcome.
“It won’t be easy to infiltrate his residence. Do you have a plan?”
“Drake leaves District 7 every morning.”
In other words, they would aim for the time when the master was absent.
“I’ve compiled the materials here.”
A stack of documents came out—blueprints of the building where Drake stayed, the habits of his subordinates, their combat styles.
It was a bundle of papers that laid bare their strength.
After reading them carefully, Robin reached a conclusion.
It was worth attempting.
“How long have you been preparing this?”
“About five years.”
“I see…….”
To have planned to stab someone in the back for five years.
It was tremendous persistence.
“One question. If you’ve prepared this much, it seems like you wouldn’t need us. Why ask for our help?”
“Even without Drake, the subordinates guarding the house are no pushovers.”
“Are they Gold-Ranked Adventurers?”
“No, but they’re seasoned, and they’re the type who don’t care about consequences.”
Robin looked back at his companions.
Sigbard, Aelin, Serena.
All of them were ready to follow Robin’s decision completely.
“Fine. We’ll start in the morning.”
“Thank you for trusting me.”
“Don’t thank me. Just make sure your preparations are solid.”
The conspiracy to eliminate the strongest Adventurer in the area ended quickly.
If they grabbed a passerby and told them, it would be a story no one would believe.
“Aelin.”
“Yeah?”
“Come with me somewhere.”
Leaving Sigbard and Serena behind, Robin stepped outside.
It was close to midnight, but the streets were still crowded with people.
“Why did you call only me?”
“There’s something off about what Dexter said. You noticed, right?”
Aelin gave a slight nod.
“Sigbard and Serena probably know too. More importantly, we’re being tailed.”
“Don’t worry about it. We’re just taking a stroll from now on.”
Robin walked through the streets like anyone else.
After blending into the bustling crowd and wandering for twenty minutes,
they arrived at Drake’s residence.
Entering a nearby tavern, Robin placed a rough order and then said to Aelin,
“Tell me if Drake is inside.”
“That’s not difficult, but what are you planning?”
“I’m thinking of having a conversation.”
Dexter had revealed the plan far too easily.
The plan appeared flawless, to the point of seeming airtight, yet something bothered him.
The fact that he had disclosed it to someone he had only just met.
Given that he claimed to be paying tribute to Drake, it did not seem strange for Dexter to harbor dissatisfaction.
However, when facing a powerful figure whose very existence was uncertain, Robin’s caution outweighed everything.
“Go check if this person called Drake is really there. Don’t worry about the tail.”
Aelin blended into the crowd and headed toward the magnificent mansion.
An hour later, the news she brought back was exactly what Robin had expected.
“He’s not there. It looks like he’s out.”
“Thank you for your hard work. Let’s head back now.”
After returning to the Clan House, Robin went back to the guest room.
He left a few words for Aelin to pass on to Serena and woke Sigbard.
After hearing Robin’s story, Sigbard nodded.
“Maybe it’s because this is a lawless zone, but there’s no one you can truly trust.”
“That’s just what I think.”
“I think the same.”
After finishing their discussion about what to do the next day, Sigbard fell asleep.
Robin stood watch through the night, turning Dexter’s words over in his mind.
“There’s no way a Spatial Artifact would be in a place like this.”
An underground city where one could not tell when the sun outside rose or set.
With an unseen sunrise, Dexter called for Robin.
“…so thirty minutes should be more than enough.”
After finishing the brief explanation, Dexter’s eyes were filled with anticipation.
Even his subordinates were visibly brimming with a strange excitement.
Robin checked the time and spoke.
“I took a short walk last night and heard something interesting.”
“What do you mean……?”
“They say the ruler of District 7 is a fairly reasonable man.”
It was something he had heard while out with Aelin the previous night.
Contrary to Robin’s expectations, Drake was not a vicious bandit who sucked people dry to the bone.
“…Have you changed your mind?”
“No. He’s still a criminal. There’s no need to sympathize.”
Reassured, Dexter ordered his men to prepare.
They were assigned the role of drawing Drake’s attention.
“Then I wish you good fortune. Let’s meet here again once the operation is over.”
Dexter moved according to the plan with his subordinates.
Once they left the Clan House and no one was watching, Sigbard quietly asked,
“What are you going to do now?”
Robin had already told his companions that Drake’s true nature was uncertain.
Even so, he did not leave Nabrash.
Aside from whether Drake was present or not, Aelin had given him one more important piece of information.
The people guarding the mansion were far too ordinary.
They lacked the sensitivity, cunning, and fighting spirit typical of Adventurers.
“Nothing major has changed. Aelin and I will go in, and Sigbard and Serena will keep watch.”
“Don’t you think it’s dangerous?”
Serena asked the reasonable question.
Of course it was dangerous.
Whether it was Dexter, who hid his true intentions, or Drake, who was said to have subdued this lawless zone.
Even so, there was one reason Robin did not back down.
“The Fragment of Starlight is definitely here.”
A material required when passing through an Extreme Region.
Not quite on the level of a Spatial Artifact, but still something difficult to obtain.
“I have no intention of letting an opportunity right in front of me slip away.”
“If you say so, then you must have a plan. Fine.”
They did not know who the owner of that suspicious mansion truly was.
Perhaps, as the residents claimed, he was not evil.
But there was no expectation that someone playing at being a boss in a lawless zone would be a normal person.
The four soon arrived at the infiltration route they had planned in advance.
“If something goes wrong, shout loudly. I’ll be there in no time.”
“If there’s anything suspicious, I’ll send a spirit. Go.”
After receiving Sigbard and Serena’s send-off, they climbed over the wall.
The infiltration route Dexter had given them was accurate.
They did not encounter a single person until they entered through the reception room window.
“It’s as quiet as a dead mouse.”
“Yeah. I don’t sense anything nearby.”
Just as they were about to slip out into the corridor, Aelin grabbed his arm.
Step. Step.
Footsteps approached from the end of the hallway.
Had they noticed the intrusion?
Preparing for any disturbance, Robin placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.
Step. Step. Step…….
The footsteps passed by the door and faded away.
Even after the sound disappeared, the two held their breath.
Only after about a minute did they open the door.
The destination Dexter had told them was Drake’s bedroom.
A fitting place to use Dragon Speech that forced sleep.
However, instead of heading to the bedroom, Robin moved elsewhere.
While examining the blueprint of the mansion, Robin had noticed a space that, structurally, could not possibly be empty. Aelin had agreed it was suspicious.
“Here.”
A small room suitable for accommodating guests.
On the surface, it was no different from the other guest rooms.
When he grabbed and turned the doorknob, it was locked.
“Do we need to find a key…….”
“Here it is.”
Aelin took out a key ring.
“When did you get the key?”
“When I snuck in last night. Security was lax.”
Click.
When she inserted and turned the key, it opened without resistance.
A simple room with not a single light.
Once the door was closed, it felt like stepping into a darkroom.
“It’s too dark.”
“Stay still. I’ll check.”
Leaning against the wall and focusing on his hearing, Robin could picture Aelin searching the room.
After feeling along the floor, she found a seam that had not been properly finished and lifted it.
Whooooosh.
A cold wind flowed into the room.
“It looks like there’s something below. Let’s go down.”
Even in the darkness, Aelin moved without hesitation, as if she could see clearly.
“Stop.”
“Why? We still have plenty of time.”
“Demonic Energy. Don’t you feel it?”
Aelin tilted her head.
It was only slightly colder than elsewhere; she could not sense any Demonic Energy.
Because Aelin’s perception was sharper than anyone’s, Robin was startled.
Click.
The sword slipped out of its scabbard on its own.
The sword of Black Mask, which he had obtained in the capital.
The moment he grasped the hilt, the Demonic Energy became clearer.
“Robin, your sword…….”
Now Aelin noticed as well.
A faint Demonic Energy was flowing from the sword.
More precisely, the Demonic Energy in the vicinity was being absorbed into the sword.
“I have a bad feeling about this. Let’s just take the item and stick to the original plan.”
“…….”
“Aelin?”
There was no reply.
After calling her name several more times, he realized it was futile.
Aelin had suddenly dropped down below.