Chapter 70: Chapter 69 - Dungeon Offense (4)

The shape of Foras's dungeon entrance was quite different from the House of Mammon's.

For the House of Mammon, a large door was attached at the bottom of the hill, however for the House of Foras, they instead had a castle gate.

The fortress-like entrance was built out of stones however the dungeon itself must've been located underground because from the outside, the castle gate was the only thing visible.

The dungeon entrance was completely sealed. Jungceros's war carriage was still next to the door, so there was a high chance that Jungceros was trapped.

Gokan, who was leading the way, spoke.

"There's a secret passageway that we used to escape. This way."

After placing the war carriages near the gate, Yong-Ho followed Gokan. There was a forest not too far from the gate and a well with a cover was hidden between the grass.

While Gokan and the Orcs were removing the cover, Rikum looked at Yong-Ho.

"Like we've mentioned before, we're able to move to different parts of the dungeon through these secret passageways. The problem is that we don't know where Jungceros is right now...is there an area you've thought of before coming here?"

Ophelia also looked curious. She had expectations, but it looked like she was also testing him. Yong-Ho looked at both of them and spoke.

"We'll go straight to the Heart of the Dungeon's room."

Jungceros's final destination was the Heart of the Dungeon's room. Yong-Ho wasn't sure where Jungceros was right now, but he was sure that they were going to eventually find the room.

It was a reasonable decision, but Ophelia didn't understand it right away. Rikum spoke with a slightly awkward expression.

"Well...there's a high chance that the area I mentioned is where the real one is located. I don't exactly know where the room is..."

"Skullllll!"

Skull yelled to tell him not to worry and Catalina had a small smile on her face.

Catalina and Skull knew something that Ophelia and Rikum didn't know.

It could be a superiority complex or it could be that Catalina was just excited about Yong-Ho's power, but she looked at Yong-Ho with sparkling eyes and Yong-Ho patted her head. Ophelia and Rikum tilted their heads in confusion and Yong-Ho spoke to them.

"I'll find the way there, so don't worry. However...I don't think Salami will be able to fit in the narrow passageway."

Since it was a secret passageway and Salami was larger than an ordinary horse, it was possible for them to fit.

After Yong-Ho commanded Salami to guard the passageway and the dungeon entrance, he turned back to Rikum.

"Let's go."

"Understood. I'll take the lead."

Rikum knew that Yong-Ho wasn't the type to make empty promises. Rikum didn't know how Yong-Ho was going to find it, but he decided to trust him for now.

Gokan and the Orcs followed Rikum and Yong-Ho and Catalina followed behind them. Skull and Ophelia entered the well after the remaining Orcs entered.

The passage that connected to the bottom of the well was filled with darkness. Rikum and the Orcs took out the lighting rod that they prepared and lit the passage.

Rikum stopped after walking a few hundred meters. It's because there was a crossroad. Up till now, they walked towards the direction where the Heart of the Dungeon's room could be located. However, it was difficult to tell which way was the right way. They had to find the correct path.

After taking the lighting rod from Catalina, Yong-Ho stood in front of Rikum. Instead of walking, he closed his eyes and breathed in deeply.

What was the most valuable in the House of Foras's dungeon?

What was the most valuable to Yong-Ho?

Greed's eyes opened within Yong-Ho. It didn't hide its desire.

An invisible energy started seeping out. The smoke-like energy were ripped into pieces and some of those pieces enveloped Catalina. The small smokes enveloped Ophelia and Skull as well.

Yong-Ho calmed his desire. He strongly reminded Greed of the thing he wanted right now.

The pieces of smoke gathered and became one. The large, thick flow extended out to a specific location.

Yong-Ho opened his eyes. He followed Greed's guide.

Rikum and Ophelia didn't see Yong-Ho's Greed. But they did feel that something was out of place. Ophelia was able to sense mana better than Rikum and she unconsciously gulped. Even though they weren't in a dangerous situation, sweat rolled down her face.

'Greed.'

Ophelia encountered Yong-Ho's Greed once. Its personality was different from back then, but she was sure that the energy that was seeping out of Yong-Ho was Greed.

He walked confidently. Catalilna and Skull followed behind without any hesitation. Yong-Ho knew where the traps were located since he studied the map, so he didn't hesitate or stop once.

How much had they walked?

Yong-Ho stopped. He placed his hand on an empty wall and forcefully released his mana.

When a different mana collided with his, it released a sound. After a rattling sound filled the room, it revealed a secret door that was hidden within the wall.

Rikum and the Orcs looked at Yong-Ho and the door as if they've seen a ghost. Catalina was so excited that she couldn't hide the big smile that was on her face.

Even though Ophelia was an information deal, she gulped due to the anxiety she was feeling.

Everyone knew that each of the sins had their own special powers. In that case, was that Greed's special power?

'The power to guide...the possessor's desire?'

It made sense. It was definitely a powerful skill. Greed's power didn't just stop there.

A small smile appeared on Ophelia's face. Instead of looking back, Yong-Ho continued walking towards the Heart of the Dungeon's room. The room was the most important and the least harmful room.

Despite being employed under the House of Foras, the Orcs have never seen the Heart of the Dungeon.

The Spirit of the Dungeon must've died because the Heart of the Dungeon was reacting. It just looked like marble that was shining brightly.

Yong-Ho looked at the Heart of the Dungeon that was sitting on top of an altar. The dungeon's history was shorter than the House of Mammon's and despite it developing more than Mammon's, it wasn't as big as Yong-Ho first thought.

Greed aggressively reacted. It complained to Yong-Ho about how thirsty it was.

It was a large amount of mana. It was stronger than any of the spirits he absorbed. Yong-Ho agreed as well. He wanted to destroy the shield that was protecting the Heart of the Dungeon and absorb the spirit right now.

But now wasn't the time. Now wasn't the time to use his mana to take the heart.

The Heart of the Dungeon was safe.

Jungceros still wasn't able to escape the dungeon.

If Jungceros was far away, Yong-Ho could take the heart and make the dungeon his.

If Jungceros was close, Yong-Ho could use the map to his advantage and ambush them.

The dungeon's interior was dark. Because of that, Yong-Ho's hearing was more sensitive than when there was light.

'If Jungceros is lost within the dungeon.'

And on top of that, if they were exploring every corner of the dungeon to find the Heart of the Dungeon.

Boom!

A boom could be heard beyond the darkness. It wasn't as loud, but he heard a scream as well. It mostly meant that a trap was activated.

Even though Yong-Ho wasn't skilled in analyzing these types of situations, he was able to tell how close the sound was.

It wasn't that far. And Yong-Ho's subordinates were able to discover a lot of information.

"I think I know where it's coming from."

When Rikum spoke, Yong-Ho nodded his head.

It was time.

***

Jungceros, the owner of the House of Abigail, couldn't hide his anger.

Everything that happened up to the point where he strangled the young successor to death was great. Even though he was still young and weak, he still had a strong spirit since he was the owner.

But everything that happened after that was a mess.

Despite the fact that his father put his life on the line to protect the dungeon for many years, the young owner gave up the entire dungeon. However, the butler had a disapproving look on his face since day one.

And in the end, the butler messed things up.

Almost a day.

It was the amount of time that Jungceros was trapped in the fake Heart of the Dungeon's room.

When Jungceros barely managed to break the magic seal, traps that were stacked on top of each other were waiting. It would take another day for them to break through the traps and search the dungeon. He didn't want to think about the number of spirits he had lost so far.

Breaking that butler's neck wasn't enough to satisfy Jungceros.

Taking the Heart of the Dungeon wasn't satisfying enough.

While grinding his teeth, Jungceros couldn't contain his anger and ended up hitting a wall. Jungceros was as big and strong as an Ogre, so with one hit, it made the ceiling and walls shake.

"Useless pieces of shits!"

Two Living Armors moved in order to break through the trap room, but when a giant weight fell from the ceiling, they were completely crushed.

There were 15 Living Armors in the beginning, but now there was only seven left. And out of the 10 Gnoll soldiers, only four survived. But, it was a relief that Jungceros and Kun, an Ogre warrior and Jungceros's guard, were still alive.

The Gnoll soldiers flinched when Jungceros expressed his anger. Out of the six soldiers that died, Jungceros killed one of them, so it was natural for them to react that way.

The lighting device wasn't enough to get rid of the dungeon's darkness and this made Jungceros even more angry.

While breathing heavily, Jungceros compared the worth between a Living Armor and one of his Gnoll soldiers.

From now on, a soldier will take the lead, not a Living Armor.

While violently waving the lighting device that was in his hand, Jungceros looked back. The soldiers were behind them and Jungceros opened his mouth to yell at them to take the lead.

But the thing that escaped his lips wasn't what he had originally thought.

The number of Gnoll soldiers decreased.

Jungceros only saw two instead of four.

The soldiers looked at each other with a surprised look when they saw Jungceros's shocked expression.

Four of them were here just now, but now it was just two of them. The other two that were with them disappeared.

"Those bastards ran away?!"

Jungceros approached the Gnoll soldiers while releasing an angry scream. One of them was so scared that it instinctively took a step back and touched something that was hidden in the dark. The soldier instinctively used the lighting device to see what was beneath them.

It was one of Jungceros's Gnoll soldiers. Blood was seeping out of its neck and its mouth was wide open.

And in that moment.

A light appeared along with the boom. The flare only lasted for a moment, but everyone that was in the room covered their eyes.

The things that happened in the dark were now happening in the light.

Catalina used her dagger and cut a soldier's throat. Because of the strong light, Catalina's shadow mana wasn't as strong as earlier, but the attack was enough to kill a Gnoll soldier.

Using the secret passageway that was in the ceiling, Ophelia jumped down and used her tail to strangle the other Gnoll soldier. On top of strangling them, Ophelia also broke its neck.

The flare disappeared. Jungceros managed to get his sight back and all he saw were the corpses of his soldiers.

Someone was here. Traps weren't the only things Jungceros had to worry about now.

"Get ready to fight! Protect the master!"

When Kun, Jungceros's guard, yelled, the remaining Living Armors turned around and approached Jungeros.

And someone was hitting those Living Armors' backs with a hammer. The blunt war hammer signaled that the fight started.

"Skullllll!"

The hammer hit the Living Armors' backs. Rikum and the other Orcs smashed the Living Armors' backs with a blunt weapon. Even through the fight began, the Living Armors had a hard time turning the table because they lost the advantage.

The defenders had the advantage when fighting in the dark.

Because of that, it was common sense for the attackers to prepare lighting devices.

Jungceros did prepare lighting devices. However, most of his devices were taken because he had spent two days here and had to deal with the traps that were installed within the dungeon.

When the Orcs suddenly invaded, Jungceros recalled the remaining powers within the House of Foras. As an owner ruled a dungeon, instead of running away, Jungceros screamed angrily while wielding his favorite sword.

"Idiots! Kun! Kill them!"

Kun responded to Jungceros's order. Kun screamed angrily towards the Orcs while wielding a large, dangerous mace.

And Ophelia discreetly approached behind Kun. When Kun sensed a presence behind him, he quickly turned around, but it was too late. Ophelia quickly ran up Kun's back and hit the back of his neck using her hand.

Break away.

After digging into Kun's neck using her hand, Ophelia jumped off of Kun's shoulder. Kun waved his arms despite of the pain and ended up collapsing on the ground. When Kun collapsed, Catalina appeared behind him. She pierced the back of his neck with a knife.

Only a few seconds passed after that, but the next attack was deadly.

Blood flooded out of Kun's neck and he fell back while releasing a pant. His body started shaking and he was unable to get up.

"Skulllll!"

The scream that was released behind Jungceros provoked them once again.

When Jungceros saw Kun on the ground, he started panting. He saw blood on Ophelia's hands and she was licking the blood off while wagging her tail.

"The owner of the pub?! Why are you here?!"

Instead of answering, Ophelia smiled brightly with blood all over her lips. Catalina was beside her and was wielding a dagger.

And the darkness disappeared. The light was released from one of the lighting devices and it revealed the room.

Despite being blinded by the flare, Jungceros was able to see the room. A Skeleton and Orcs were smashing the crushed Living Armors, the Gnoll soldiers were lying on the ground and Kun was shaking on the ground.

They weren't the House of Foras's remaining soldiers?

Did the female owner of the pub want a dungeon as well?

If not that.

"The Demon King of Fire!"

Jungceros yelled when he noticed the last person to exit out of the secret passageway.

The House of Mammon's new owner.

The Demon King of Fire that killed Foras and a Land Worm!

Instead of answering, Yong-Ho tightened his grip on Aamon. Ophelia and Catalina stood by his side and Skull stood up while wielding the war hammer.

Was the owner of the pub working with the House of Mammon?

Did the House of Foras's Orcs guide Yong-Ho?

Jungceros stopped thinking about these questions. Instead of giving up or kneeling, he kicked off the ground and yelled.

"Kun! Kill the enemy!"

It wasn't a simple order. It was a childish scream.

"Gahhhhhhh!"

Kun, who was lying on the floor, stood up. He started running towards Yong-Ho. It reminded Yong-Ho of a dump truck.

Jungceros's mana didn't only affect Kun. His mana dominated over the mind, so it slowed down Catalina and Ophelia.

"Skullll!"

Skull yelled. Within that moment, Yong-Ho kicked Ophelia and pushed her. He threw his body and covered Catalina and he barely managed to dodge Kun.

Kun wasn't able to control his own body, so he ended up charging into a wall. He must've been at his limit because he wasn't moving.

And Jungceros approached Yong-Ho. Yong-Ho barely managed to dodge the large sword that struck like lightning.

Jungceros didn't pick up the sword. He used his large hands and put pressure on both Yong-Ho and Catalina. Jungceros looked straight at Yong-Ho and activated his power.

The Demon King of Control.

That was Jungceros's nickname. He was able to dominate his opponent's mind and control their movements!

Jungceros used his power to control the Demon King of Fire. That's how he was able to turn the tables!

Jungceros laughed out loud.

He poured all of his mana into his power in order to completely crush Yong-Ho's resistance.

But it was weird.

The Demon King of Fire wasn't resisting at all.

Yong-Ho was actually accepting Jungceros.

***

Jungceros blinked.

He saw a totally different environment.

The sky and the ground was on fire. The entire world was enveloped in red flames.

Something was wrong.

From all the times he had used his power, this had never happened.

Jungceros started shaking. He felt fear. He felt a large presence looking down on him from a very high place.

"Ah...huh...?"

He had a hard time talking properly. The only thing he could do was watch.

Only

You insignificant thing.

Jungceros heard a voice from the high place. Jungceros couldn't even disagree with its statement.

The fire that was burning the entire world disappeared.

And a figure that was even larger enveloped the world.

Jungceros now knew. He realized that he was at a disadvantage. He managed to talk after gathering his energy.

"Ki-King of Greed."

Jungceros couldn't resist. Greed devoured Jungceros's mind. His existence was destroyed.