Wolves of Hader

Chapter 135

Everyone was at a loss for words.

Who would have thought there'd be a massive palace under the Great Mountains? And such a meticulously constructed one at that.

"Why is something like this here?"

"This wasn't made by humans."

I agreed.

It was Dran's handiwork.

Luxurious and flat stones paved the floor perfectly, and the gigantic columns had been intricately carved and stacked.

And on top of that, it was huge—unimaginably huge.

The palace was square-shaped and even larger than the Order's temple. The ceiling seemed about thirty meters high. There were both stairs going up and down, and they were extremely wide.

"An ancient civilization..."

"Have you heard of it?"

"Never."

I hadn't heard of it either.

There were no detailed records of the ancient times.

Almost as if they'd been deliberately erased.

There were two openings in the floor—one where we came up and another where Donnie, Hans, and Allen were. We could hear fighting, then Allen suddenly appeared.

"Wow! What is this?!"

"Young lord! Are you alright?"

"I'm fine."

The members threw a rope toward Donnie's side, and Donnie and Hans were pulled up as well. They were just as amazed, their eyes wide in disbelief as they tried to process everything.

But the most shocked was Allen.

"This is built by our Dran!"

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. The symmetrical square design is our style. Did Dran live on this continent? But there's no reason to build such a huge palace. No statues of Dran, either."

True.

The palace was far too big considering Dran's stature. Like Allen said, there wasn't even a statue commemorating their ancestor.

"Donnie and Hans, check out the two sets of stairs with the team. If they're too long, just come back."

"Understood."

The members dashed off in both directions.

I took another look at the palace's structure.

The floor was a square, but the walls narrowed as they went up. I couldn't see the ceiling, but judging by the shape, it seemed like the inside of a pyramid.

I walked toward the stairs Donnie had taken.

I heard the team's footsteps echoing as they went up. The staircase zigzagged upward.

I waited around twenty minutes.

Our team hadn't returned yet, and I was about to call for them when Donnie and the others who had gone upstairs began coming down.

"Why is there nothing?"

"It was just stairs, the whole way. Judging by the wind, there must be an exit somewhere in the mountains."

This underground palace was at the lowest point of the mountains. Those stairs couldn't possibly lead all the way to the peak—they probably connected to an exit somewhere halfway up.

"Well, it's a relief if there's a way out. I worried about how we'd escape if the cave caved in."

The palace was located above the cave leading to the Guardian's lair. The palace had stairs heading down. That meant the Guardian must be beneath those stairs.

"Let's go. Seems safer than the cave."

We all headed for the stairs leading down.

As expected, the team that had gone below was coming back up. They were all panting heavily, as if they'd sprinted.

"There's a monster!"

"Alone?"

"Yes! We didn't get too close, afraid it would collapse the stairs. We didn't go all the way down—it's a long way."

Donnie spoke up.

"But, young lord."

"What is it?"

"When the ceiling collapsed, there was a strange phenomenon."

"You mean that eerie energy?"

"Yes, we definitely felt it. Some invisible tendril seemed to snake out from the far end of the cave. When that force hit the ceiling, it started to crack."

The Elin siblings and I had felt it too.

We sensed something dangerous was coming our way.

It must have been the true nature of that telekinesis.

In my previous life, one guild challenged this Guardian several times, but failed every time. It was said the Guardian would pick up rocks or snatch people using telekinesis and hurl them.

Just being tossed wasn't the worst of it. Sometimes, after lifting someone, it would choke them to death. Once, it threw all twenty guild members against the walls, leaving them unconscious.

But it wasn't just telekinesis at work.

Forceful tendrils would lift rocks and bind people. They simply hadn't been visible.

Only the American guild, who had ruled this area, kept challenging it because they'd discovered this secret and kept it to themselves. That meant there was a chance of success.

I didn't know if all telekinesis worked that way, but it wasn't unstoppable. You just had to cut the forceful tendrils. Since the Guardian borrowed magic power to use them, it couldn't be that strong.

"All members, use dual swords. You'll sense the energy as the tendrils come—cut them, and you won't be caught up in the force. Just dodge the flying rocks."

"Is it the same as last time?"

"This time is different. The members lure its gaze and attacks. Only Allen and I will attack. If we pick up a hammer, we won't be able to move quickly, so there's no choice."

"Understood."

"I'll go in first, so familiarize yourselves with the Guardian's attack patterns. If it grabs your neck, cut it immediately—otherwise, it could snap your neck."

I turned to the Tuji brothers.

"You two, shoot at its forehead like you did with the forest giant. It'll be hard to see, but there's occasionally a flash of light revealing its location."

"Understood."

I addressed the officers as well.

"You need to attract its attention together with the team. Never stop moving. Only attack when I give the word."

"Got it."

"And Allen, keep aiming for its head. We're both using hammers, so we can't cut the forceful tendrils. We'll have to dodge."

"Sure thing."

"Bellen and Lok, you two are least likely to get caught by the tendrils—you're the quickest here. Act as you see fit, but retreat if it gets dangerous."

"Yes."

I looked at everyone.

"We can't reveal the spoils of this hunt. It's for secrecy. But I promise you'll be compensated fairly. Allen, watch your mouth."

"Alright."

I'd already warned Allen.

If he blabbed about the Guardian's lair, I'd reclaim the elemental spirit—especially regarding the treasure.

I reminded him that the ancient heroes divided because Dran's hero Brembor let slip a secret. For Dran, a slip of the tongue was the ultimate disgrace, so it should work.

"Let's go."

I grabbed my huge hammer and headed down the stairs.

With my magic gloves on, the hammer felt considerably lighter. Still heavier than a greatsword, though.

"Lok, cut the tendrils as soon as they show up."

"Yes."

Lok took the lead.

With his light, fast body and quick reflexes, he was better suited for this than me. He could probably leap up to the very ceiling of the stairs.

And so, we kept descending for quite some time.

The stairs stretched down for a long way. Then, the whole staircase started to shake.

Kwarururung—

"Run!"

We all dashed downward.

As stone fragments rained down from above—

Something rushed in, and Lok instantly leaped up, slashing at whatever was reaching out toward the ceiling.

With that, the tremors stopped.

"It really worked!"

"Good job! Slash anything that comes, no matter what!"

"Yes!"

Again and again, forceful tendrils shot toward us—from the front, from above. Soon, the rear stairs collapsed in our wake.

Urrrr—Kwakwang—

Like a roof crumbling, the back stairs were falling apart. Fortunately, we ran faster than the Guardian could bring them down, so we weren't buried.

Lok couldn't cut every tendril. Ahead, a rain of bricks crashed down on us as we raced forward.

Tang—

Knocking aside falling bricks, we picked up our speed.

"Watch the front!"

"Faster! Go!"

It was a miracle no one tripped as we leapt several steps at a time. If the officers hadn't learned jump techniques, they'd have been crushed.

We finally reached the bottom.

A rather large cavity!

"Argh! Get out of the way!"

Lok, who had gone in first, dodged to the side. At the same moment, a massive marble slab came whirling in. I lunged forward and swung my hammer.

Bang—

And it wasn't just one incoming marble slab.

Before the shattered fragments could even scatter, four more marble pieces came flying at once.

I trusted the others could dodge on their own and rushed straight into the cavity. It was a circular space about sixty meters in diameter. And in a corner on the far side—

There stood a Guardian, roughly three meters tall.

To my amazement, it wasn't covered in normal rocks but with fragments of magic crystals, like a suit of scales!

"What the...?!"

Allen sprinted up beside me.

He leapt right up, only to be smacked by a flying marble slab and sent flying back.

"Allen! It's hard to dodge in the air!"

Had he passed out? He didn't respond.

The others charged in and ran toward the monster. We dodged the incoming marble easily.

Everyone was shocked speechless by this bizarre monster. I'd told them the Guardian was one that wore stone as armor, but this was something else entirely.

The rocks it had used as armor were now lying in a pile in the corner. Switching to crystal fragments meant it knew the rocks could break.

"Lure it!"

The team darted and weaved before the Guardian. Six invisible tendrils simultaneously shot out toward them, but we could sense them.

Puff—

Four members slashed the tendrils away, but two were caught and slammed into the wall. Now that it knew we could cut the tendrils, it didn't bother binding them.

Tutututung—

Marble slabs rained from the ceiling, heading straight for our running group.

Marble stuck to the floor and walls broke free to hurtle toward us and me. The Guardian just stood there in place.

"When it uses its power, it can't move!"

The members realized it.

"Allen! Get to its back!"

"On it!"

He ran quickly.

Allen went left—I went right.

Meanwhile, everyone else rushed about, drawing the Guardian's gaze, dodging and batting away projectiles.

At first, cutting the tendrils had been tricky, but the group quickly got the hang of it. We learned that just moving quickly was enough—the Guardian couldn't catch us.

"There's magic power in the tendrils! If you get caught, it zaps your body and makes you feeble!"

That was a team member who'd hit the wall shouting. Our members could get up immediately even after being slammed, but the officers looked a bit in danger. If you passed out and got grabbed, you'd be smashed until you died.

"If this drags on, we're at a disadvantage! If you get tied up, cut it immediately! If you black out, it'll pound you to death!"

"Understood!"

Just then—

Uson's arrow struck the Guardian's forehead. It was a perfect shot since the thing wasn't moving.

Kraaaagh—

The Guardian shrieked and staggered back, all the forceful tendrils vanishing at once.

Almost simultaneously, Allen and I struck.

Allen went for the head! I went for the torso!

Whing—Ttittitting—

Chwarurururur—

"Huh? What the...?"

Our hammers swung through empty air uselessly. At the same time, the crystal fragments clattered down. The Guardian had suddenly shed all its fragments and vanished.

It wasn't a teleport.

It was just too dark in the cavity to see well.

"Where did it go?"

"Over there!"

Lok spotted it right away.

The fallen crystal fragments rushed together, and in an instant, a form took shape. The true body of the Guardian was just a barely visible translucent silhouette. Human-shaped!

Soon, its body was reformed, and it started launching marble slabs again. Then, as Oren leaped and cut the tendrils, the Guardian suddenly snatched him up. There was no time to react.

Bang—bang—bang—

The Guardian slammed Oren into the floor three times right on the spot. In a rush, Bellen unleashed her Blade of Wind and managed to cut the tendril binding Oren.

"Bellen! Heal Oren!"

"Yes!"

I hurled my hammer aside and drew my dual swords.

And charged straight at the Guardian.

Shweee—!

Tendrils of force rushed at me.

Suk—Sukuk—

I sliced three of them in quick succession and lunged for it. Allen, who'd been lying in wait behind, did the same!

Just as my sword was about to reach the Guardian's head—

Charrurur—

Again, magic crystal shards cascaded down, and the Guardian vanished. But this time, I saw it—the creature had floated into a dark corner midair!

"Lok!"

Piiing—

The instant the words left my mouth, an Arrow of Light shot for the Guardian—but a tendril snapped out and swatted the arrow away. Again, fragments began forming around the creature.

"How the hell are we supposed to catch this thing... shit!"

Allen cursed as he leapt to the side—his leg had been caught by a tendril! I thought the Guardian would slam him mercilessly again, but this time—

"You son of a bitch!"

Allen grabbed the tendril wrapped around his leg and, with a sharp yank, pulled it instead.

At that very moment!

Kak—

The Guardian was pulled forward and toppled over.

It was the Guardian, not Allen, who got slammed to the ground!

"Die, damn you!"

Allen leapt at the downed Guardian, clearly intending to smash its body to pieces.

Bang!

Shards of crystal flew everywhere.

Once again, the Guardian abandoned its fragments and fled.

Allen was screaming furiously.

"Try and catch me again! I'll end you for good!"

Allen charged after the monster.

The Guardian panicked, abandoning its attempt to gather fragments and rushing to dodge.

I understood what was happening now.

The creature's magic power was no match for Allen!

While its body remained visible, Lok and the Tuji brothers attacked at the same time. So did I!

Puff—

As the Guardian dodged Allen's assault, it was struck by Lok's Lightning arrow and knocked back. There was even a loud blast, probably from it hastily raising a magic barrier.

It was humanoid!

I didn't know exactly what it was, but—