Keep calm, Ryota counseled.
The treacherous woman slowly walked around and stepped over the paralyzed guests. She stopped when she stood on a fur rug in the far corner. She stomped on the floor twice and then backed away.
A moment later, something pushed up and lifted the rug. A few dark elves climbed out.
The traitor pointed a crooked finger at the party. "These were the ones who killed your people. As proof, they have enslaved one of your own."
A dark elf walked over to Sin. She grabbed the slave by her silvery hair and pulled Sin's head up. Abruptly, the other dark elf backhanded Sin and released her hair.
Sin dropped back to the ground like a ragdoll.
The tormentor stomped her heel on the back of Sin's skull! "Jou Ra 'Tal! You are a disgrace to our race! How could you allow yourself to be enslaved by these filthy humans! A quick death is too good for you. I shall stomp you to death!" The dark elf began to torture the disgraced elf.
"What should we do with the humans and dwarves?" another dark elf asked.
The apparent leader looked at them. "Bind the man. Kill the rest," she ordered.
The followers pulled out their blades and prepared to act upon her command.
Suddenly, Ryota pulled his claymore from its sheath on his back and stabbed the closest dark elf! With a foot, he kicked her in the abdomen and pulled out the blade.
The remaining dark elves immediately surrounded him. They jabbed their poisoned blades into his limbs and torso. To their dismay, the poison had no effect on him!
Ryota dropped his illusion, revealing his ghastly, undead nature. Taking delight in their collective horror, he held out his arms and spun around. His blade was a buzz-saw, cutting through the bodies of the dark elves through sheer might alone. All the attackers dropped to the ground, their bodies torn in half.
Mabel opened her mouth to scream for help but Ryota threw his sword at her! The pommel of the heavy claymore slammed into her forehead and the elder crumbled to the ground.
Thank you, Markos said.
No problem, Ryota replied. I'm going to lock and barricade the door in case any villagers try to come in here. Then, I'll wait until the poison effect has faded from your bodies. The skeletal lord locked the front door and moved a table to barricade the door. Then he sat on the secret panel on the ground to prevent more dark elves from entering the house. He waited patiently for the poison to wear off. It happened a good six hours later.
Chapter 29
Unpleasant Discovery
Markos left the skeletal lord alone to focus on a more immediate concern: the trapdoor that the dark elves came out of. He had no idea what was under the village of Anopii and he did not like this one bit.
The dungeon core resumed expanding his territory toward the direction of the village. When his domain was roughly a mile away, he was forced to stop. There was a magical barrier preventing him from taking control!
Markos was astonished and concerned at this discovery. This was the first time he encountered this situation. However, with the support of the Hivemind, the dungeon core kept his calm.
He activated the Analyze skill and extended his senses as far beyond the barrier as possible. Surprisingly, the skill worked and revealed a network of subterranean tunnels. One of the tunnels connected to the trapdoor in the elder's house. Some of the tunnels expanded horizontally and covered astonishingly long distances and beyond the kingdom of Vessar itself and into the adjacent Urav Provinces.
Other tunnels descended deep below. This revelation proved to be the most disturbing, by far. The dungeon core sensed a tremendous amount of magic and life energy underground. Without a doubt, it was the hidden home of the dark elves and probably a city at that.
As for the barriers themselves, there was a lattice of magic talismans placed in various tunnels. Markos studied them carefully using his Analyze ability. He learned that the barrier could be brought down by simply retrieving the talismans and destroying them. However, doing so would be akin to a fly tangling in a spider's web. Surely, the dark elves would know if their talismans were destroyed and parties would be sent to investigate.
Was Markos prepared for a turf war with the dark elves at this time? The honest answer was "no." Despite his evolution to an Infernal Dungeon, Markos knew that he was weak. Furthermore, he had far too few allies. And while he could raise an army of elementals, he was certain that the dark elves possessed the magic necessary to deal with his minions. Therefore, the best thing to do now was to set up a "Chinese Wall" separating the dark elves' domain from his own.
Markos decided to inform Ryota of the result of his investigation. He wanted to get the wise warrior's take on this disturbing discovery. Ryota, I investigated the area under this village. It turns out there is a network of tunnels that lead to the subterranean home of the dark elves. And there is a magic barrier in place to prevent me from taking over their territory.
I see. I assume that you have no appetite for an all-out war with the dark elves? The skeletal lord responded telepathically.
Correct. I sensed a tremendous amount of life and magic underground. There is probably a city full of dark elves. I don't have an army to fight them, the dungeon core admitted honestly.
Sometimes, the best decision is to delay your conquest until your army is ready. In the meantime, you have reinforced your own walls to prevent the dark elves from entering your domain?
I'm in the process of doing that now. Oh, and since I have your attention, I want to ask for your suggestion on dealing with Mabel Anopii. She betrayed us to the dark elves, Markos noted darkly.
Yes, she has, Ryota agreed. However, there may be extenuating circumstances. I can still feel your anger seeping through our mental link but killing this old woman will make the situation worse for you.
How so?
You're seeking commoners to move and help you establish a new settlement near the dungeon entrance. If you kill the woman and the residents here believe that this was unjustified murder, then the word of your evil deed will spread. No one will move to your new town. That's why you have to figure out another way to win their trust.
I see what you mean.
Back in my life as a warlord and conqueror, I wouldn't hesitate to kill anyone who betrayed me. But I had a mighty army full of loyal men and women backing me. Administering swift justice raised their morale when they saw that I demanded the same accountability and loyalty from them and vice versa. Unfortunately, your circumstances are far different from mine and you can't kill without justification in the eyes of the villagers.
That makes sense. I will follow your advice and hold off on killing Mabel. When the paralysis wears out, I will send the party to rouse and awaken every villager and bring them to this house. The bodies of the dark elves and the presence of the trap door will serve as proof that the elder was in league with the raiders.
The reactions of the villagers will tell you if they knew of this or not, the skeletal lord added.
If they do, then I wouldn't want them to come to my town anyway.
Exactly.
Markos felt Sibalt move his body. Looks like the paralysis has worn off. The dungeon core waited for the entire party to recover. Unfortunately, it had taken a good six hours to do so.
In the meantime, the village elder had awakened but Ryota knocked her unconscious again.
"We really need to figure out a way to counteract against poison," Alethea grumbled when her mouth was able to move freely again.
"Humans can't be trusted," Pewma replied.
"Present company aside," Tensa grinned.
Yozka held out her hand toward Sin and caressed the unmoving slave's face. The witch was horrified since she was paralyzed and laid on the ground next to Sin. Thus, Yozka had a close-up view of the attack on Sin as it took place. No one deserved to be tortured like this.
Yet, by some miracle Sin was still alive.
The Hivemind was very impressed by her will to live. And even Sibalt was willing
to lend a hand to heal the outcast if necessary. Since there was a magical barrier under the village, the dungeon core could not claim the village as part of its dominion. Consequently, the assimilated beings could not borrow the dungeon's abilities, including the ability to Heal others. Thus, the task of healing Sin will rely on the personal abilities of Yozka and Sibalt.
Drawing from her mana pool, Yozka used Water Work to fully analyze the damage done to Sin's body.
Droplets of water appeared on Sin's body and entered through the skin. The water circulated through her body, offering Yozka a close examination.
The damage was as bad as the witch had feared. In addition to a broken neck, a portion of the cranium had caved in and destroyed the brain matter underneath. If the injuries were left untreated, Sin will remain paralyzed from the neck down.
Sighing to herself, Yozka worked frantically to heal Sin before these gruesome injuries became permanent. It nearly drained her entire mana pool of 2,000 Mana to heal the neck and skull and their surrounding tissues. The treatment had left the witch mentally exhausted.
Slowly, Sin blinked her eyes and moved her neck back and forth. "Why did you heal me?" she asked.
"Even though your crimes were grievous, you did not deserve to be tortured like that. Besides, you have been claimed as a slave by my master and that means we must take proper care of you," Yozka explained.
"Thank you," Sin replied.
"You can thank me by permitting me to borrow your laps as a pillow. My head is spinning from overuse of my mana," the witch said.
"Of course." The dark elf readjusted her position on the ground and closed her knees together. She leaned over and helped Yozka place her head on Sin's thighs.
"Ah." A sigh of relief escaped the witch's lips as she closed her eyes and took a nap.
Alethea turned her head toward her husband. "What are we going to do now?" she asked. She was truly gratified to see that the dungeon core permitted Yozka to over-extend herself to heal a slave. Alethea had watched closely as Yozka performed the healing and the dwarfess understood the slave's injuries were beyond her own ability to heal.
"We need to rouse the villagers and bring them here. Show the bodies of the dark elves and demand to know if they are aware of the presence of the dark elves. Also, we must learn if they support the elder's decision to help the elves," Markos replied through Sibalt.
He remembered to recast the illusion over Ryota's face so that the skeletal lord appeared to be a human once again.
His wife nodded in agreement. She turned toward her brethren. "Please fetch the villagers," Alethea ordered.
"Yes, Earth Singer," the three dwarven guards nodded in unison. They walked over to the front door, removed the barricade, and left quietly.
Alethea rose to her feet. She walked over to the table where the elder was sitting. She saw the uneaten rabbit stew in a bowl on the table; it was Mabel's bowl. "Perfect," she said. The untouched food was undoubtedly poisoned. This was proof that the elder knew the food was poisoned and Mabel refused to eat it for this reason.
Suddenly, the elder began to move her body and the dwarfess quickly jumped on top of her. Alethea griped the traitorous woman tightly in a bear hug.
"Why am I still alive?" the elder asked calmly. She knew that the dwarfess was a lot stronger than Mabel.
"My husband was merciful. We are awaiting the arrival of the villagers. They will render judgment on your fate," Alethea replied.
Mabel cackled at the reason. "I see," she said.
The front door opened and villagers began to enter the house. Some carried lanterns while others held candleholders. There was a collective gasp as the light shone on the bodies of the dark elves. "What happened here?" someone blurted out.
"We were betrayed by the elder," Sibalt replied in a harsh tone of voice. He pointed at the bowl of stew on the table. "She put poison in the rabbit stew that paralyzed our bodies. While we laid on the ground, helpless, your elder stomped on the rug in that corner as a signal. The hidden trapdoor beneath the rug opened and these dark elves came out. They were going to assassinate my companions and abduct me. But my guard, Ryota, did not eat the food and he was able to defend us against these elves. You can check the bowl and the trapdoor to confirm these facts," he invited the villagers.
Alethea released her hold of Mabel and returned to her husband's side. She was not concerned that the elder will try to escape. After all, where will Mabel run off to?
Some villagers did just that. They sniffed at the bowl and recognized a faint odor of aconitum in the food. They pulled the fur rug aside and discovered the trap door beneath.
Cinta the kobold stood in front of Mabel. "Why are you helping these dark elves? They are the bane of the surface races!" Her eyes were smoldering with fury at this betrayal!
"I had no choice. A few years ago, the dark elves dug up a tunnel that exited in my house. They gave me a choice: either I keep quiet about the tunnel or they will kill everyone in this village and then burn everything. I chose life for everyone," the village elder answered calmly.
Cinta shook her head. "This was not a choice for you to make alone. The rest of us should have been informed. We kobolds may be looked down upon by the humans but we still have a Code of Honor. We don't betray our own. Ever. I cannot call myself a kobold if I remain here." She turned to face me and bowed deeply. "I'm sorry for what happened. You are our guests. I am prepared to face your punishment."
Sibalt held up his hand. "I don't blame you. The elder has acted on her own and without your knowledge and consent. If you don't agree with her decision and decide to leave this village, then I invite you to come to my town."
Cinta nodded. "I will accept your invitation and move."
The other villagers quickly agreed. They were all embarrassed and ashamed by the betrayal of the village elder. "What will happen to this village?" one of them asked.
"I don't want any more conflict with the dark elves," Sibalt replied. "I plan to leave it alone. But I will spread the word that the Village of Anopii is an exit point for a subterranean city of the dark elves. Let Queen Levioda and her Royal Court decide what to do about it."
The villagers nodded in agreement.
Alethea turned toward Lemia. "Can you lead the villagers back to our mountain?" the Earth Singer requested.
The dwarf pouted. She did not want to leave the party and go home. "Fine," she sighed.
Alethea smiled and turned to face the villagers. "Tomorrow, Lemia will guide you back to the Bulddinger Mountains. The new town is located in the shadow of the mountain," she announced.
"In the meantime, please return to your homesteads and rest. There is still some time until daybreak," Yozka said.
The villagers nodded and left the house. None of them spared a glance at the elder.
"You have destroyed my village. You should have just killed me instead," Mabel said quietly. She sat on the ground and quietly stared at the opened trapdoor, wondering what else she could have done to save her tiny village.
Chapter 30
Village of Markos
While the villagers rested for the final night inside their homesteads, Markos spent the time building walls between the barrier and his territory. Using his knowledge from Earth, the dungeon core chose steel to create such walls. Steel was strong, durable, and considered among the strongest metals on Earth.
Of course, building steel from Earth Work wasn't simple. It took time to experiment and get the composition right and then memorize the formula and apply the same formula to build the walls. All those damned walls. Miles and miles of them. Ugh!
Even more surprising was how mana intensive the task of making steel walls were. Sure, the dungeon core may have gone overboard in making the walls 100 feet thick. But Markos was desperate to avoid an invasion by a city full of vicious and sadistic dark elves. And he was willing to spend as much time and resources as needed to protect his dungeon.
Markos remembered vividly the way Sin was physic
ally attacked, as seen through the eyes of Yozka, and this was the first time that Markos was unhappy to be part of a collective Hivemind. He was thoroughly traumatically by the gratuitous act of violence because it was as bad as the act of murder he personally experienced at the hands of his old boss, Bobbi Nox.
The other elf could have killed Sin outright for being a traitor. No argument from Markos. But to physically torture his slave in this violent manner was more than he could stomach.
In his past life as a human, Markos was not a violent person. When the zombie craze hit the mainstream media, he avoided reading books and watching television shows about zombies. He simply felt that the producers and authors took too much pride in making the victims look as realistic as possible.
That being said, to be forewarned was to be forearmed and the episode involving his slave truly opened Markos' eyes to the casual acceptance of violence in this world of Enwald. And if Markos wished to take over the Kingdom of Vessar, he would have to be prepared to soak his soul in blood.
Returning back to the issue of the new steel wall, Markos was highly confident that the dark elves could not break through HIS physical barrier. Thus, the 25,000 Mana cost to build these walls was still worthwhile. Especially if this meant that those sadistic and violent elves will not put their grubby hands on his primary dungeon core.
In the end, he ended up building almost 100 square miles of steel walls. The issue wasn't the width of the wall per se because aside from the Village of Anopii, the dark elves' barrier did not come in contact with the dungeon core's domain. The problem was the depth because the wall had to be extremely deep and then wrap around a good portion of the frontier of his territory. Otherwise, the dark elves could simply dig deeper to bypass his steel walls. Again, the image of Sin being assaulted drove Markos to become more paranoid than usual and take this extreme measure to protect his dungeon.
Once the dungeon core was satisfied with the coverage of his steel wall, he had to consider putting guards in his dungeon to warn him if the walls were ever breached. He needed the equivalent of guard dogs. He decided to create a dozen Earth Elementals and embedded them in the tunnels next to the steel walls. Markos then ordered them to attack any intruders. If the minions engage in combat, then he would be informed of this fact and receive an early warning of invasion.
CONQUEST: The Dungeon Core Gambit Book One Page 14