However, strangely enough, Ruda canât find any sign of life.
Leading the group are the Higher-Level Members, ăFallen Mist (Lightning Dragonâs Mist)ă. Among them, there are thieves of a higher level than Ruda. Their Vice-Leader, Hay Laria, is one of them.However, his expression was just as quizzical as Rudaâs.
There were no traps nor enemies.
Castle-shaped Treasure Shrines are few in numbers and generally tend to be high level, so Ruda has never explored one before. However, from what I heard, there are Phantoms with a high commanding ability that would appear inside.Even if that werenât the case, it was hard to believe that there were no Phantoms at all in a Treasure Shrine.
I may have misjudged the situation. From the moment I saw the Treasure Shrine from a distance, my instincts kept ringing powerful warning bells. I should have followed my instinct, and now I regret a little bit for not doing so.
Since the Garest Mountains, I knew that the purpose of ăFallen Mistă was different from Rudan and the others. Even so, Ruda and the others followed Arnold partly because they hadnât been able to accomplish the request Ruda had received yet, but also because they felt they had to stop their fight.
Ruda couldnât predict what would happen if ăHeavy Lightning Strikeă, a Level 7 and ăInfinite Varietyă, a Level 8, clashed. From what Rudaâs saw, the latter would win hands down, but there was no point in making a prediction like this since it was obvious as he couldnât even shred ăInfinite Varietyă pretense.\n
No, letâs be honest. Regardless of having a one-on-one fight, Ruda thought that if ăFallen Mistă and ăStrange Griefă clashed, the former would be defeated. Ruda didnât know how good Cryâs abilities are, but she could clearly tell the difference in quality between their companions. All of the Party Members of ăFallen Mistă arenât weak. They boasted stable abilities, but even so, the impact I felt on them was far from what I felt when I first saw ăAbsolute Shadowă.I donât know much about Sytry, but since they are in the same Party, she must be in the same rank. Arnold engaged Liz at the lakeâs shore, but if Sytry or Cry had been in the mix, he would have been defeated.Â
As long as ăFallen Mistă is willing to fight, there will be no stopping in their clash. I tried to persuade him several times, but Treasure Hunters attach great importance to their honor. And I can understand their reason.
In short, the reason why Ruda came along was to intervene after ăFallen Mistă was defeated.
The Members of ăFallen Mistă were wild and were exactly what ordinary citizens would imagine when they hear the word Treasure Hunters, but they werenât bad guys. Along the way, even when they were in a desperate situation, they never abandoned Ruda or ăCrimson Flame (Fire Gale)ă and had helped us several times. I had to repay this debt.
There was also Tino with Cry. Even if Ruda couldnât stop him by herself, if Tino and herself were to beg for mercy, they could, in the worst case, at least save their lives.
That was what I was thinking. Looking back now, I must say that I was naive.Certainly, if Ruda begged for mercy, Cry would agree. If Cry agreed, ăAbsolute Shadowă wouldnât refuse either. But, however, this is only possible if they can meet with each other.
Before meeting with him ââ I might die first.
The difficulty level of the Treasure Shrine that Cry Andrich headed for was far beyond what Ruda could have expected.
I havenât engaged with a Phantom yet, but I can understand without needing to do so. Compared to this place, the ăWhite Wolves Denă we explored before was like heaven.
While having a blue-face, Ruda desperately focuses her mind, followed by the Members of ăCrimson Flame (Fire Gale)ă who had a paler complexion. \nRudaâs group is composed of fifteen Hunters, a much larger group than a regular group formed to explore a Treasure Shrine, however that couldnât be a consolation at all. Ruda, Gilbert, and his companions would probably be helpless in front of the monsters that live in this hellish place.
Our only hope is ăInfinite Varietyă that should have entered the Treasure Shrine first. If it was that man who always has a loose expression and everything in the palm of his hand, then he would surely know that Ruda and the others are already here. No, now that I have come this far, I can only hope so.
Â
Hay said we were just going to take a look. He said, âWe donât plan on dying hereâ.The Mana Material that fills the place is thicker than anything Ruda has ever seen, and she can feel it accumulating in her body, slowly but surely strengthening her abilities.
It is a good experience. How nice would it be if I was able to laugh it off.There are no absolutes on a battlefield. It is possible that an attack will escape Hay and Rudaâs detection, pierce the frontline which is solidified by ăFallen Mistâsă formation and reap her life before Ruda is even aware of it.
The inside of the ăCastle of a Myriad Demonsă was different from what I had imagined and had a somewhat solemn atmosphere.
The outer walls made of stones and high gates were in harmony with the landscape, and there was no deterioration as if it had just been built.The door, which opened naturally as if it was waiting for Arnold and the others, looked like it was made with metal and had a mysterious texture when you touched it. It was proof that this castle was entirely made out of Mana Material. Probably, the gates and doors which looked like they are likely to break down if they were hit with all our might, might boast a hardness that couldnât be seen from their appearance.
I carefully checked around the gate, but the room that should have been filled with soldiers was empty and unoccupied. The tables, chairs, and lit fire lamps which were left inside were terribly creepy.Hay, as he peered into the room through the window asked Gilbert who was at the rear.