Chapter 15  : A Game With the Intruders

“Never proactively invade a Mage Tower with an owner and even more so, don’t underestimate the moral boundary of a Mage. Unless you hope to end up like me, I X, 12 consecutive traps, aren’t you afraid of triggering it yourself? Indeed, all Mages are madman — Great Adventurer Kuse.”

From a certain sense, this saying has become an iron law among adventurers, especially when this adventurer is well-known in the circle for being carefree and his skill in escaping. In an exploration of a flying castle in an alternate dimension, he was dissected into 13 pieces by a great Warlock’s consecutive traps. The saying that he used his life to emphasize made the saying additionally convincing.

For a species like Mages, they often view the pursuit of truth and knowledge as the goal of their life and their living quarters and their Mage Tower are their research center and their treasure trove.

Therefore, when the fruits of their research and their lives are being threatened, their moral bottom limit and chastity is exceptionally low. Their living quarters and research labs are filled with all kinds of traps and mechanisms, magic traps that even master thieves can’t do anything about. For example, opening a door may very possibly result in you being transported into another world.

A Legend-rank Mage’s living quarters and Mage Tower’s threat isn’t lower than infiltrating the den of a Dragon and even the weakest Lich are at least a Legend.

Thus, I am extremely curious exactly what kind of people will directly attack the living quarters of a Lich, especially while he is obviously at home.

“Elisa?”

“There are two teams of intruders, one of them attacking head-on while the other is climbing the wall at the back. Judging from their skills and their weapons, it should be the Dark Elves, 7 silver-rank and 3 gold-rank. Quite a powerful group I must say.”

Elisa reports as I expected, but this wasn’t the answer I was looking for.

“Why are there explosions? Didn’t I tell you to just set up some safe and quiet alarms on the outer perimeter? Such a loud explosion at night will draw the Town Security in soon.”

Following «The Town Security Guidelines (Wumianzhe’s 6th Edition», after hearing the explosions, they will form a small team to scout the scene within 5 minutes. Furthermore, my living quarters is in the central area of Sulfur Mountain City, not too far from the Supreme Court. I reckon at minimum, they will be here in 10 minutes.

“They would definitely take this opportArunide is the second daughter of the noble Third Family from Morsblight City. The fact that she became a gold-rank Lorci Priestess under 200 years old symbolizes that she has the favor of the Mother of Spiders. As the next rising star of Morsblight City, she is used to looking down on others.

This time, she was under orders by her family to bring a team to Sulfur Mountain City to accomplish a diplomatic task. After much consideration and investigation to ensure that it isn’t some ploy from other female priests to usurp her position, she received the mission, elated.

“Stupid and dirty two-legged bugs, how dare you inferior males reject the kind will of the Spider Queen! I see, you all don’t even have the qualifications to serve as slaves. Then, burn in the fiery inferno of the Abyss while regretting your decisions.”

Even as a diplomatic ambassador, she, just like most of her other brethren, look down on all other species that aren’t female Dark Elves. Due to that, from the very start, there wasn’t a possibility for the diplomatic talks to succeed.

But, as Dark Elves, their motives here naturally include spying, and their true mission has only just begun.

“All of you, go and carry out the mission granted by the Spider Queen. Assassinate all of the people whose names are on the list if possible. Or else, just collect information on them for the time being.”

That’s why these days, the Town Security army received complaints from their Dark Elf mates moving suspiciously in the city, putting them in a hard position to make a move.

That bunch of bitches wearing those laughable uniforms and worship the Holy Light, just looking at the dumbasses who betrayed the Spider Queen makes me sick… If I am able to find an opportunity to kill them, the Mother of Spiders would definitely send down more rewards!”

But to Arunide, carrying out her family’s mission as a spy was only a bonus. Her true goal was to convert the team attached to her into her devoted subordinates that would give up their lives for her interests.

But before she was able to find trouble with the misfits among her brethren who worship Holy Light, one of her accomplice from Chrome City was unexpectedly captured.

“Useless males, the way he died is too pathetic, too weak. But it would be troublesome if he talks. If Sulfur Mountain City were to get a hold against us, our diplomatic team from Morsblight might be expelled from the city. Not mentioning how embarrassing it is, if we fail the reconnaissance and assassination mission coupled with our secrets getting revealed…”

Remembering the harsh torture her family dealt towards failures and the punishments the Spider Queen imposes upon weaklings, turning into a half-human half-spider freak or so… Surmise can’t help but shiver in fear.

Fortunately, the wise Spider Queen still favors her and the mark left on the male indicates that he was taken away from the impregnable Fire Mountain Prison and brought to this weird house.

Despite hearing that it was the living quarters of a Lich, she didn’t back away.

Just another foolish man. Are you all virgins who haven’t enjoyed the service of those handsome Mages in the family before? To actually read a Mage? Even if he is a legend-rank Mage, but what about it? We, Dark Elves, are the natural nemesis of Mages. We have 2 Shadow Dancers and a Priest of the Spider Queen, we can down him in an instant…”

But in this moment, she no longer possesses the calmness and confidence she had then.

“Explosions, explosions. Explosions everywhere. The doorbell explodes, the door mat explodes and even a small pebble by the road explodes as well… Exactly what kind of place did we come to?”

The body of the gold-rank Shadow Dancer, who is equal to her in fighting prowess, lies on the icy-cold floor. A hole has been opened in her head, her skullcap had been blown away and blood and brain matter flowed endlessly from within. Her cause of death…

“The powerful Blood of Haxinti actually died to an exploding coat rack. Would anyone be able to believe it? How am I to explain to my family that I lost our strongest Assassin. In less than 3 minutes, only 3 people remains of our 2 teams and we haven’t even met our target yet.”

The surviving no longer dared to proceed on and after the retreating Haxinti died to an exploding cost rack, they don’t even dare to retreat anymore. They huddle together, wary of the surroundings.

But very soon, they no longer have to worry.

That is because in front of them, a floating figure appears from the dark night. The silver-colored Ice magic and black-colored death magic hovers around the skeleton. In the eyes, a purple color soulfire burns wildly and the icy-cold voice formed by the reverberation of magic brings one despair.

“Nice to meet you, test subject 17893, test subject 17894 and test subject 17895. Welcome to my research lab. Un, please do remember your assigned numbers. From today on, that will be your new names. Here, will be your home until your deaths. I hope that I can make you feel the warmth of home.”

The voice created by a Lich’s magic was gender-ambiguous and has no trace of emotion within it. It was as though it was just announcing a known fact. The eyes that it looks at towards yourself, there was no lust towards males or jealousy or females. If there was anything, it was only the interest towards the construct of one’s body.

Somehow, looking at the ghostfire burning in its cold eyes, Arunide remembered the warning of her grandmother who doted on her.

“In the view of the world, we, Dark Elves, are evil, dangerous and crazy. But, in the face of true evil, we are just pitiful lambs waiting to be slaughtered…”

“Grandmother, I finally understand the reason behind your sigh then. But a pity that it’s already too late… No benevolence or evil, no love or hatred, these eyes that only see an animal waiting to be experimented on. Is this the shape of true evil?”

Before she lost her consciousness, the rising star of Morsblight City, the second daughter of the noble 3rd Family Arunide sighs for the final time.