Upon reaching the dungeon, we saw a large group of adventurers aimlessly shuffling around. The two human guards were standing in front of the entrance. It had a colorless barrier around it, preventing anyone from entering. Rumors mulled about, though. If they were to be believed, it looked as if Noelia was reported missing this morning, so the mines were shut down by Gloria’s forces until she could investigate. Another person said Dark Mana was detected. To defend her country and assure her citizens Dirge wasn’t under attack, Gloria came out to dispel the mana and discover the truth. One thing was for sure. The dungeon would cease operations for the foreseeable future. As for when it would open? No one knew. The Dragonfolk remained on top of the carriage. Well, my waypoint was there.   

It was just a theory, but I wondered if [Eyes of the Huntress] could evolve to pierce through cloaking effects? It was powerful enough, but it felt like something was lacking.  

But with the dungeon closed, we couldn’t get any iron. I had a few dozen pounds of ore chilling in my storage, but it was a pain to walk all this way and have nothing to show for it. The day was pretty, though. A summer breeze danced through my blond hair and sent it scattering while we returned to the house.  

Meanwhile, it was time to do a little spying. Letting the AI take the lead, I instructed it to display and follow Arella and Gloria whilst in satellite mode. 

“Lord Gloria, you must remain in control of your emotions,” Arella said as a holographic map appeared in front of us. We were alone, so I didn’t worry about anyone seeing it.  

“I am incredibly displeased,” Gloria calmly said, her face betraying the cool tone she spoke with. She carried a scowl while leaving behind flaming footsteps as proof of her irateness. Suddenly, she stopped in her tracks and looked to the left, eyeing a group of naked goblins dancing around the corpse of a bat.  “It’s unsightly... I hate it... Arella, destroy them. Collapse the rooms and chambers we come across. I don’t want them to even look my way... Not with how angry I am...” 

“Of course, my lord. I know how much you despise dungeons that births goblins.” Arella bowed, then took hold of her curved swords. I thought she was going to rush in, but no.  

She did something entirely different.  

“[Gunblade].” With that single word, her swords flashed a vivid purple and became a pair of tactical machine pistols that shared the same color scheme as her melee weapons. If the guns were the same as the ones from my world, Arella’s weapons used 9x19 parabellum rounds and shot 900 bullets a minute.  

“What the hell? That’s a thing?!” I exclaimed. Tilde nodded and said it was a rare skill, but you could take a melee weapon and a gun and fuse them together. And Dark Elves preferred to use firearms over a bow.  

“[Ammo Storage].” Suddenly, a floating locker appeared in front of her. Arella turned the handle, opened it, and removed two 60-round magazines labeled with [Micro Explosion]. A quick use of [Analysis] said her weapons had [Mana Link]. Tilde spiraled into another lecture and said there was a skill called [Spell Bullet Production]. It was rare, hard to make it appear in your Skill Menu, and more difficult to acquire. With it, you could turn any spell you knew into a bullet. In a way, [Chimeric Armatization] worked like it, but you could use [Spell Bullet Production] to create bullets for later use. It took a lot of mana since creating matter from nothing was no easy feat.  

Arella ejected her guns’ magazines and slotted in the new ones while Tilde said [Mana Link] only supplied the gun with basic bullets. Based on what I saw, Arella’s mana probably wasn’t that strong. Stronger than mine? Definitely. But most of her skills were related to firearms and close combat. She knew very little magic.  

Tilde was confused, though. The fairy said [Micro Explosion] was often used by miners and excavators because it was an explosive spell that caused craters. It was perfect for precise work since the average explosion was less than an inch in diameter. She didn’t know why Arella chose those two magazines. 

She raised her arms, aimed her guns, and pulled the triggers. One second later, thirty rounds exploded out of her machine pistols, leaving behind a mist of death and a room full of craters over a yard in diameter. 

Yes, a yard. It was like a dozen pounds of TNT exploded every time a bullet made contact, and it didn’t take long for the entire dungeon to shutter as if it were wounded. The rumbling didn’t transfer to my holographic display, but I saw the ground vibrate as the room caved in.   

“Tilde, what the hell?!” I exclaimed, turning to a fairy with a gaped mouth. She quickly shook her head. 

“Holy shit... Look, the strength of your mana determines the power of the bullet produced by [Spell Bullet Production]. If it’s this strong, then Gloria herself must be supplying Arella with her bullets. This is bad, Master. Those bullets are strong enough to blow a hole through an elephant’s ass. And that’s with an SMG. Imagine if she used a sniper or shotgun that shoots slugs."

As Gloria and Arella walked through the dungeon, Arella used her guns to cave in every room and chamber she passed. Even if it was empty, she let loose a sharp rattle of gunfire, causing so much damage and destruction. It was no small wonder the dungeon itself didn’t collapse, but Tilde said each dungeon came with a gigantic mana battery. It used the mana like fuel to spawn the monsters and boss, fill the treasure chests it created, and repair any damage caused by adventurers. 

“I will slaughter all who displease you but think of your people,” Arella said about thirty minutes after descending to the second floor. It had mostly been silent until now, with only the piercing and deep explosive bullets to break the monotonous atmosphere. Sekh, Tilde, and I decided to veer off the road and sat under a large tree to watch in private.  “But have you forgotten? Noelia was the least favorite of your Soul Warriors.” 

“That isn’t why I’m upset!” Gloria turned the final corner and entered the hallway before coming to the boss’s chambers. The campfire had long since died, so its warm glow was nowhere to be found. “Tell me how her mana vanished. It is impossible. Such a thing cannot happen. When a Soul Warrior dies, their mana remains connected to their summoner for months! It hasn’t been two days since the connection was cut, and it happened on my land? In my city? In my dungeon? Under my nose?” 

“I understand that. But the citizens don’t. It will be impossible to keep her death a secret. Rumors spread like wildfire, especially for someone as unpopular as Noelia. As per her letter and the guild master’s own report, Noelia was hated by all for her indecent behavior. Building that bar to nurse her homesickness was a mistake. Her attendants failed to educate and protect her. Therefore, I suggest we punish those foolish families that begged you to allow them the honor of protecting a Soul Warrior. You have disliked them for quite some time, yes? Seeing them fall to ruin should do much to relieve you of your stress, my lord. And we must release a statement to remain in control of the narrative. The council will be expecting a report within the hour.” 

Gloria turned around and placed her hands on her guard’s shoulders. She leaned in close and rested her head under the elf’s chin. “You’re right, Arella. I apologize for my behavior, but this incident is of great importance. If someone has invented a spell or technique to remove a summoner’s mana from their Soul Warrior, that’s a drastic discovery. We cannot fall behind...” Gloria sighed. “There is much to do and little time to do it.” 

“Then why not allow the Barclays to handle Noelia’s funeral? Their head has been asking for an opportunity to make their loyalty known. And they are not strangers to putting on a valiant display of heroism for empty caskets. Do you recall how they made their fortune?” 

“Another excellent idea, Arella.” Gloria pursed her lips and kissed her Dark Elf. “I don’t know what I would do without you...” 

“You are most welcome, my lord. I shall follow you wherever you go and destroy all that stands in your way,” replied Arella. Her lips curled into a smile, then vanished because it was time for them to investigate. They first looked at the cold, dead campfire. Arella suggested it had been out for at least 18 hours, giving them a time frame. Searching around, they found traces of blood, stool, and urine at the back of the room where Niva was forced to sit. The bag of potions—both whole and broken—and the fact that some were still there suggested an ambush.  

That posed a problem. Arella was a sharp woman, and her instincts didn’t come from a skill. She was over 140 years old, so that came with wisdom and a ton of experience. She looked through all the belongings, the sleeping bags, the basket of salted meat, and the six gallons of water waiting to be drunk. From her point of view, there had to have been an ambush. A blitzkrieg, you could say, that killed Noelia and her attendants before they were aware of what was happening. 

But where was Niva? The two conversed amongst themselves. It turned out that a facility in northern Dirge could detect a person’s general location. All it needed was a person’s blood and a hard-to-manufacture compass, but its range was 100 miles. Gloria stated Niva’s mana was too weak to get a precise location, but now she couldn’t feel it. That suggested to her that whoever killed Noelia took Niva. 

And she couldn’t figure out the reason why.  

The dumb bitch... But [Analysis] couldn’t pick it up. This tracking facility... How can it track without leaving a status effect on a person? [Analysis] should’ve picked up something, but it didn’t... But that’s good to know. 

The towering doors leading to the boss’s arena opened. Total darkness covered the entire room, but a moment later, it became illuminated with the whimsical glow of a hundred lanterns lining the curved walls. Glog, Metalborn Prince of Goblins stood—the boss—stood hunched over an anvil as a green, muscled hand slammed a jagged hammer upon the sword he forged. Vivid sparks highlighted the scars covering his crooked nose, which poked through the helmet covering his entire face. The disgusting thing was about six feet tall. Half of his gangrenous body was conjoined with a metal plate, and it acted like natural armor. Piercing it would’ve been a challenge.  

But not for Gloria. Her past was a mystery, but it was clear she hated goblins almost as much as I did. She turned her annoyed brow to the monster and lifted her glowing hands. Placing them together, she closed her eyes and chanted far faster than a reasonable person could speak. Even I could feel the tremendous mana radiating between her palms as she slowly spread them. It was looking into a holy abyss—one tainted with a hint of shadow, but her pale face showed no emotion other than a desire to utterly wipe out her foul foe.  

“[Twilight Abaddon]!” Gloria formed a fist, grasping the nearly uncontrollable mana in one hand, and threw the packed spell at Glog. When it exploded on contact, the entire room was filled with a pillar of magic that broke through the dungeon’s walls and emerged out the top. The sky quivered, rumbling and crying, and in the far distance?   

There was a swirling vortex of twilight death and destruction, yet it was also a restrained cyclone that never once moved an inch. It remained on a dangerous rampage, casting aside the clouds and sending them scampering away as the sky became perfectly clear.  

“Holy Shit...” I whispered. Suddenly, the pressure from the spell overcame us, sending Sekh's and mines hair into a frizzy while the leaves danced a somber tango with the others. Speechless, I was again aware of the sheer difference between me and my ultimate target. Even after seeing Gloria’s display of power, I knew that bitch Meruria had the upper edge. 

I was shaking... 

But I wasn’t scared... 

No, I was...thrilled. 

“That’s a proud grin you have, my liege,” Sekh said, turning to me. She had one of her own across her face. I could tell she was more determined than ever. 

Returning our gazes to the holographic window, the dust started to settle. Arella stood in front of her summoner with her swords crossed in front of her chest. Around her and her summoner was a barrier of purple, which prevented harm from coming to them. The Dark Elf lightly chastised her lord for the overwhelmingly powerful attack as the teleporter to the lobby appeared. 

“That was for a reason, my dear,” Gloria replied, skipping over to the remnants of Noelia’s camp while her hands flashed orange with deadly fire. “Couldn’t you tell? When we arrived in the dungeon and made our way to the boss, we encountered Noelia’s camp. Crowded around the campfire were the corpses of a bandit troupe that chased a little half-breed deep into the mines because they wanted to break her down. They were new to the area, so they didn’t expect to see a Soul Warrior waiting at the depths.”  

Scorching flames danced from the tip of her fingers and burned the evidence.  

“Noelia and her brave attendants fought like hell to protect the girl, but a stray arrow found its way to her little half-breed heart. Overcome by wrath and anger, Noelia unleashed the hidden power of her soul and became a torrential flow of purifying, deadly flames. It consumed her, devouring everything in this room while leaving the innocent, injured girl alive. Even as she turned into flames and entered the afterlife, the half-breed was protected by a barrier. And we simply found her here, surrounded by ash and death. In a groggy state, she foolishly entered the arena, and I acted fast to save her life, leading to the egregious use of [Twilight Abaddon]. I assume it shouldn’t be too hard to find a half-breed somewhere? Tell the Barclays to find one around 8 years old, and make sure she’s shot with an arrow. And tell them to hypnotize the child permanently. An orphan girl shouldn’t have much in the way of mental defenses. Understood?”  

“Of course, my lord. I shall see it done.” 

“No, you won’t. Send the shadowguard to relay my orders. You will remain here and act as my eyes and ears. Inform the guild master that the Mines of Gamor will be inaccessible for the foreseeable future. It needs time to heal, yet I will make it my temporary home while you search the city for answers.”  

“As you see fit, my lord.” Arella saluted, turned on her heels, and walked towards the teleporter.  

We talked about what we saw, then resumed our journey home. Once there, I sat down with Irisa and her parents to drop off the things I’d stolen while telling them what occurred. To be safe, I plopped a waypoint on the shadowguard, Gloria, and Arella and shared it with the onis. “Whatever you do, if you see the waypoint nearby, avoid it. Gloria is a master of illusion magic, so I wouldn’t put it past her to disguise her guard,” I said.  

I was glad Niva was still unconscious while we talked about this. Perhaps hearing Gloria’s name would be enough to send her into shock. But after about twenty minutes, I decided it was time to go with Irisa to Smithy’s Corner.   

We had some prosthetics to construct.   

Sekh remained behind to tend to the newest member of the Kill Idiot Loser Lords Squad, or the KILLS as Tilde liked to put it.   

Thanks to the AI, I knew what size the prosthetic had to be, but that didn’t mean I knew how to make them. How was I going to make the sleeve? What material was best for it? And how was I supposed to start? The socket or the leg? After sighing, Irisa rubbed my back softly with her tender hand. “It’s okay, Mila. I dunno much about it either, but I’m sure we can come up with something.”  

The powerful, beautiful woman gave me a friendly smile as she put on her blacksmithing apron and held her smithing hammer determinedly.   

“Right. Let’s get to it.”

RuggyRuggy

Author's note was getting long. It's in a Spoiler Tag. 

Spoiler

There was a good bit of information revealed in this. First of all, Gloria's pretty damn powerful. From what it sounds like, she's a master of infusing Holy Mana into spells with the shadow element. That is odd because Light Magic is to Holy Magic like Shadow Magic is to Dark Magic. It's kinda like a stepping stone to learning Holy Infusion and Dark Infusion.

But yeah, Gloria is a master of infusion Holy Mana with Shadow Magic.

And Arella? Oooohhhh boy. Transforming her swords into machine pistols is one thing, but having bullets enchanted with an explosive spell? Even if it's [Micro Explosion], every bullet leaves behind a yard-sized crater. If she gets her ammo from Gloria herself, imagine how powerful [Twilight Abaddon] would be when its condensed into shotgun shell or a sniper round?

But it takes an especially powerful mage to use [Spell Bullet Production], and an even more powerful one to create ammo that is far stronger than the original spell that's turned into a bullet.

Along with the invisible Dragonfolk, Gloria has two very powerful warriors protecting her, and these aren't the only two. Mila has a tough road ahead of her, I'll tell you that.

Oh, and Gloria's a bitch. That much should be clear. She has no problems taking an orphan half-breed, injuring her, brainwashing her, and using her to improve Noelia's reputation.

We also learned the name of Karen's father. Bart Barclay. He's a very powerful man that doesn't care about getting his hands dirty. Since Karen took the drastic route, I suppose that just runs in the family. Perhaps they specialize in that? It kinda sounds like it. 

There are two chapters left, so we should be entering Arc 3 next Friday, which spans from Chapter 40 to Chapter 64.

I hope you've been enjoying it, and I hope the world-building is good! Arc 3 is going to have a good bit of it in the middle chapters.

But now? It's time for Mila and Irisa to forge some prosthetics!

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