Thud.
The bricks fell. The tension on their faces vanished as they knew that the strange sound they heard was the ageing walls unable to support the castle.
Finding dozens of amphithere corpses lying around lowered the awakeners' confidence. They were worried that the cause of all this was another monster.
When they heard mysterious sounds from the castle, everyone suspected the murderous monsters were coming. They couldn't imagine how to deal with a monster that killed dozens of amphithere when they were overwhelmed by just one of them.
"Stupid bricks." One of the awakeners let out a sigh of relief as he wiped the sweat from his forehead.
However, Klaus knew that this castle held many secrets, and what they encountered was far beyond what they expected.
"What should we do next, Klaus?" Noah asked.
Klaus raised his eyebrows. After they had defeated Amphithere on the mountainside, Noah seemed to trust Klaus completely. This man did not put doubts on him even though he caused some of his men to die.
Yes, it was good news for Klaus. But at the same time, he was a little astonished at his cousin's naivety in trusting someone so easily.
"I have an idea. But better let's find out first," Klaus said.
Noah nodded his head. He then ordered some of his men to inspect the strewn corpses of the amphithere, finding out what the cause of death of these monsters was. Apart from checking the wounds and the condition of the corpses, they also looked at the entrails, ascertaining if there were any organs or monster cores left behind.
In the middle of the inspection, Justin stopped rummaging through the corpse of an amphithere. He stood up and looked inside the castle through the broken gate.
"Hey did you hear that?"
"Hear what?" Asked back Olivia who was pawing the belly of the monster next to him.
As it turned out, it wasn't just Justin who heard it, some of the awakeners did it too. They stopped what they were doing to check what they were hearing.
The longer it went on, the clearer the faint sound became.
ƥαṇdαsηθνε|·ƈθm Until their ears heard a cry for help, and from the darkness of the castle emerged a man with severe wounds and an indescribable look of fear on his face. The awakeners were surprised to see him, but Klaus soon realized the danger that lurked.
"Help! Help me!" The poor man screamed.
Naturally, Justin, a man with good hearted instincts, stepped forward to help him. However, Klaus quickly held Justin back, realizing the threat that was pursuing the poor man.
A horrible shadow appeared from inside the castle, and before they could react, a snake-like and winged monster leapt out and ferociously devoured the man.
Splat!
Several awakeners gulped as they saw someone die before their eyes.
The monster was amphithere. However, its size was three times smaller than the amphithere they fought earlier.
With its huge wings, it hovered in the air with stunning movements, ready to launch its vicious attack.
"Stop daydreaming! Get ready to fight!"
Noah's shout kicked in their fighting instincts. They immediately drew their swords or raised their weapons. However, before they could do so, Gavin jumped in first.
KRRIIIIIEEEEEK
Gavin waved his sword in an agile motion, utilizing the lightning power hidden within him. A flash of blue light emitted from his sword as it touched the monster's body, sending a disorienting electric shock. This attack slows down the monster, giving Gavin the opportunity to move faster.
Seeing a man fighting alone, Klaus ordered one of his men to help Gavon.
"Akio help him!"
"Aye! Aye!"
Akio launched an attack with his legendary finesse. He moved with bullet speed, maintaining the precision and power of each of his sword strokes. His sword slashes slid into the monsters with tremendous force, landing devastating critical damage on it.
However, the monster was undaunted. With surprising speed and strength, the amphithere moved nimbly. Its wings cut through the air, attempting to crush its opponents.
"Casters! Disrupt the wind flow! Don't let the monster take control!" Klaus exclaimed.
Led by Justin, the casters manipulated the air inside the castle grounds, making it difficult for the monster to escape.
KRIIIIEEEKM!
"I won't lose this time!" Gavin gritted his teeth.
This man was more determined than ever. He deftly dodged, leaping to the side to avoid the deadly attack. In a synchronized motion, he countered the attack with a precise punch, forcing the monster to momentarily retreat.
Blast! Blast! Blast!ραпdαs `nᴏνɐ| сom
Lightning brutally struck the amphithere. At the same time, Akio showed off his great fighting skills. With movements full of harmony, he jumped, spun, and dodged the monsters' attacks. His sword spun perfectly, protecting himself from the fierce monster threats.
Attack and defense continued, creating a mesmerizing dance among the darkness of the castle. Gavin and Akio moved together, complementing each other even though this was their first time.
"Hyaaaa!"
Splat!
KRIEEEKKKKK
The winged monster fell as Gavin landed the sword right on its heart. Then, the monster breathed its last.
Gavin stood and was covered in the blood of the creature he killed. At the same time, the awakeners were dumbfounded. Whereas before the man was battered against Amphithere. Now, he killed it as if it was nothing.
"Good job!" Akio praised in a casual tone.
As Gavin looked at the oriental man, he realized that the monster could lose because of his help. He humbled himself.
"Thank you. You assisted me and gave me the chance to break through that monster's damn scales," Gavin replied.
Akio shook his head. "You're thanking the wrong person. Say it to the person who deserves it."
Naturally, Gavin frowned. "To whom?"
Akio rolled his eyes at the emerald green-eyed man in the crowd of Awakener. "Klaus has more to contribute than any of us. He knows what he's doing."
Gavin squinted after hearing Akio's words. He seemed skeptical of Klaus. But at the same time, Klaus presented effective tactics and methods in defeating the monsters. More precisely, it was like Klaus already knew everything.
Who would have thought of defeating Amphithere by manipulating the wind flow to sabotage its abilities?
After defeating the monster, Klaus and Noah had a discussion.
"That poor guy is one of Vincent's men. It looks like they broke into the castle"
"Yeah," Klaus replied. "And there wasn't anything left on the bodies."
Klaus suspected that the people who slaughtered these amphitheaters were Vincent and his men because he found no valuable organs and monster cores left behind. Monsters wouldn't do that.
Noah bit his lip. "So, now what? Should we go there too?"
"Of course."
After taking a moment to prepare, the awakeners entered the castle to find out what was really going on inside.
As Klaus stepped into the broken castle gate, Laplace whispered into his head.
<My, liege. I'm sure you feel it too. Massive amounts of mana are emanating from there. I don't mean to doubt your judgment, but I think it's best we avoid this place.
"I know what I'm doing, Laplace."
<Yes, my liege.>
An indescribable sensation came over her the moment they walked inside. The dark and gloomy hallways of the castle confronted them, creating an aura of horror that shook the conscience.
On their journey, they did not encounter any monsters at all. Every corner of the hallway did not hide the threat that awaits.
However, the more they explored the endless hallways, the clearer it became that they were trapped inside this castle. Every time they walked in a seemingly different direction, they always returned to the same place. Desperation and hopelessness began to haunt their minds.
"We're trapped inside this castle," Gavin muttered in a low voice, uncertainty reflected in his eyes. "We need to find a way out as soon as possible before things get worse, boss."
"Shut up!" Noah snapped. "Without you telling me, I know we're lost. Just follow me."
Noah really looked frustrated. Cold sweat rolled down his face. Similar expressions could be seen on the other awakeners as well. They knew they were currently trapped inside the castle, but they trusted the party leader with everything. And Noah knew this fact.
He pretended to look strong so that his men wouldn't panic. Although Noah didn't have the capabilities of a leader, he tried to be the one.
However, finding a way out proved to be a difficult task. Although they tried many different routes, the castle continued to confuse them, turning seemingly familiar roads into headache-inducing traps. An hour passed, two hours passed, and they remained trapped inside the endless castle.
In the end, Noah gave up.
"So, Klaus. What should we do now?"
Klaus smirked. The most awaited words from his cousin finally escaped his mouth. He looked at Noah with a sharp gaze and said, "Try going into that room on the right. We have to try every door and hallway there is. Don't lose hope, Noah. We can definitely get out of here."
Noah nodded his head. With a pounding heart, he led his group to the room Klaus had pointed.
They walked through hallways filled with fear and darkness. But when they entered the room, they were met only with a disappointing void. The room was empty, with no clues or signs to help them.
