"Dark Lord? You mean those scurrying rodents?"
Lana was skeptical.
The Azure Empire had its share of Heroes and Dark Lords, but it also wielded overwhelming power compared to other kingdoms on the continent.
Nearly all the Heroes had been incorporated into the empire's forces, while those Dark Lords who claimed islands were turned into corpses by the empire's naval fleet.
Thus, Lana had little interest in anyone claiming the title of Dark Lord.
Understanding Lana's disposition, Bain offered no further explanations.
"I've modified Oksd's eyeball for you," he told her. "Your plan from here on out depends entirely on you; I won't lend a hand. Consider it a test."
"Understood, Master," Lana nodded, watching as Bain left her residence.
...
Deep Inside Red Jade Valley
After fending off the blood-soaked mud creatures, the adventurers found themselves in a rare moment of unity, conversing and sharing their exuberance at having survived.
Among them, Alaric's group was the most conspicuous.
Having successfully consumed the Blood Source, not only had their abilities surged, but they were also able to levitate.
This drew envious eyes and a throng of questions directed at Alaric.
Alaric, seeing the adventurers gather around, put on a smile and began his well-rehearsed spiel.
"Friends, I understand why you've approached, but if you wish to—"
Luck rarely bestows its grace twice on the same person.
Before Alaric could finish, the ground suddenly quivered.
"What's going on?"
"The tremors are coming from deep underground; it must be something big."
"Damn it, if I'd known, I'd never have entered this cave."
The tremors incited pandemonium among the adventurers.
Many lost their footing and tumbled to the ground, only for something horrifying to ensue.
The earth softened like mire, pulling in those who had fallen.
Desperate cries for help rose to their comrades, but to no avail; they were ultimately swallowed by the earth.
In this moment, Alaric and his levitating crew became an exceptionally noticeable presence.
"Alaric, what the hell is happening?" A chorus of adventurers directed their questions his way.
"I have no idea," Alaric responded, his face etched with gravitas.
For once, he took no offense to the questioning tone of others.
His aging eyes remained fixated on the ground, as though seeking something elusive.
Suddenly, Alaric began chanting an incantation.
A fireball, several meters in diameter, materialized in his hands and hurled toward the ground.
The impact scorched the earth until it glowed red-hot.
"Damn you!"
From beneath that molten ground, a figure soared into the air and landed with grace.
Slender in build, with blood-red eyes and fangs exposed, the figure was scantily clad, its torso only partially covered by scales and its lower half by a ragged, blood-red skirt.
"Bloody Queen!" Alaric exclaimed, identifying the creature that had emerged.
Hearing her name revealed, a venomous expression overtook Edith's face.
"Insolent worms, you've come prepared!" she snarled. "You dare to interrupt my master's resurrection with this pathetic ensemble? The audacity is laughable! Die, all of you!"
With Edith's furious roar, the ground began to spawn blood-red mud creatures. "Kill them all!" she commanded.
Watching adventurers encircled by these monstrosities, Alaric knew he could no longer be a passive observer.
To fulfill Lana Mokos' charge, he would need the help of these adventurers.
And so, he conjured fire elementals to engage in combat with the mud creatures.
The other adventurers weren't idle either; they fought back using various means at their disposal.
For a moment, the blood-red plain became a tapestry of clashing steel and dazzling spells.
High on the cliff, Sherry turned to Ethan, who stood beside her. "Should we go down and help?"
"Not yet," Ethan shook his head.
His interest was not so much in the adventurers below, but singularly focused on Alaric.
Not just because of Alaric's impressive strength, but also the method Alaric had employed to successfully utilize the Blood Source.
"Something's off here," Ethan was sure of it.
As a possessor of the Golden Divine Dragon Bloodline, his lineage had ascended to a rare tier through the power of red jade, making him a suitable candidate for the Blood Source.
Though he had refrained from using it for safety reasons, he sensed that the expected enhancements were not all that would occur.
The ability to levitate seemed a peculiar add-on.
"How did Alaric manage it?" Ethan mused.
Just then, Sherry spoke again, "What is she up to now?"
Following Sherry's pointing hand, Ethan caught sight of Edith's movements.
The Bloody Queen, who had been commanding her mud minions, was now stealthily retreating.
Her figure melted into the earth, vanishing as she burrowed toward the underworld below.
"Follow her!" Ethan made a snap decision.
Riding on the back of the black dragon Komait, they descended to the ground and moved toward the original site of the sacrifice, where a tunnel led to the depths below.
Their sudden landing naturally attracted attacks from some of the mud creatures.
A casual flick of Ethan's hand unleashed bolts of lightning, shattering the creatures into irreparable pieces.
The primitive fear that suddenly emerged in these instinct-driven beings made them hesitant to approach Ethan and his party.
Alaric, too, sensed the commotion.
"A black dragon!" he muttered, recognizing Komait's aura and the actions of Ethan's group.
"They're heading underground, damn it!" Alaric's expression darkened.
In mere moments, the mud creatures had ensnared him.
Though capable of flight, he found it hard to maintain altitude as these creatures had learned to spit mud, obstructing him.
Nonetheless, he pushed on.
Below the cave, the surroundings were hardly different from the cave above.
The earth was red, devoid of any light, save for the massive heart suspended in the middle of the chamber—mirroring the rest of the cave.
At that moment, two groups stood before the gigantic heart.
"I presume you know what this is?" Luke, standing in front of Luvi, addressed the party opposite him.
"Of course," Savi, facing Luke and Luvi, nodded and added, "This is the heart of Oksd, a grand creation of the long-lost ancient kingdom."
"So, you plan to take it?"
Luke and Luvi's faces turned ashen, and particularly when recalling their prior misadventures, a tempest of unvented anger roared within them.
After leaving the cavern plaza, they intended to trail Ethan and his group, but their decision to take a shortcut led them astray within the labyrinthine cave.
They lost Ethan's trail and, subsequently, found themselves embroiled with the bizarre mud creatures.
After narrowly escaping the clutches of these monsters, they wandered aimlessly, even tumbling into a pit, and accidentally stumbled upon this peculiar place.
To their surprise, they were not alone.
In contrast to Luke and Luvi's convoluted journey, Savi and his party seemed far more focused.
Ever since their goal shifted from hunting Ethan to seizing the grand creation of the ancient kingdom, Savi had put in considerable effort to satisfy the Flame Witch.
He not only acquired information about this creation but also meticulously plotted their course.
Unlike Luke and Luvi, who had unwittingly ended up here, Savi and his team had planned to explore these depths from the get-go.
Ironically, both parties arrived just as Edith departed.
Therefore, they couldn't help but eye the deity's heart before them.
However, sensing an anomaly, Edith chose to return underground.
The atmosphere shifted once more, becoming electric with tension.
Edith resurfaced and launched a sneak attack on Savi, Luke, and Luvi.
Thankfully, their quick reflexes allowed them to evade.
"You worthless scum!" Edith seethed, tendrils of blood-red tendrils emanating from her body.
Feeling the palpable force that Edith radiated, Luke turned to Savi.
"She won't be easy to deal with. How about we join forces to take her down first, then discuss the allocation of the heart afterward?"
"Agreed," Savi nodded.
Yet, just as a tenuous alliance was formed, the unexpected struck again, unravelling the fragile threads of the moment and plunging them back into a maelstrom of uncertainty.
Just as Savi's group and Edith reached an impasse, poised for confrontation, Ethan and his company slid swiftly through a tunnel, landing squarely between Savi, Edith, Luke, and Luvi.
"Well, this is awkward," Ethan chuckled, locking eyes with familiar faces—Luke and Luvi.
Savi's expression also shifted, tinged with a mix of bewilderment and elation.
But as they say, when it rains, it pours.
Barely had the balance of power shifted to a three-way standoff when the earth shook, and several boulders crashed down.
Alaric, leading a band of adventurers, blasted through the ground to make his grand entrance.
"It seems I'm not too late," Alaric declared, brimming with audacity.
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