Chapter 637: Richard Preparing To Strike
Twenty minutes had passed.
"Phew… I'm exhausted." Yaeger let out a weary sigh as she gazed at the mountains of corpses and the rivers of blood pooling around her feet.
Beside her, Rosalina wiped the sweat from her face, exhaustion evident in her expression.
They had slain far too many. It wasn’t their bodies that suffered—it was their minds. Mindlessly repeating the same killing motions had left them mentally drained.
The air was thick with the pungent stench of blood, sharp enough to make one's stomach churn. Had she not been inside Yaeger’s purified air bubble, Rosalina would have likely lost her lunch by now.
The last of the sewer mermaids had fallen, yet Yaeger remained motionless. Logically, she should have taken off immediately.
‘Strange… We slaughtered so many of them, yet not a single Elite appeared?’ Yaeger’s instincts screamed at her—those missing Elites weren’t just absent. They were lurking.
Normally, wiping out this many Magic Beasts of the same type would eventually draw out an Elite. Sometimes, they even lured out bosses. Granted, the odds were low—but not impossible.
"Master, what’s wrong?" Noticing Yaeger deep in thought, Rosalina’s concern grew.
Yaeger turned to respond, but before she could speak, a system notification chimed.
Ding! You have completed the [Mermaid Nightmare] trial.
Rewards: [Aqua Dodge Bead] & 50,000 gold coins.
Yaeger froze for a split second, then rolled her eyes in irritation.
‘Am I insanely lucky or just cursed? Of all times to stumble into a hidden trial…’
Under normal circumstances, she’d be thrilled—yet another sign of her godly 666 Luck stat. But right now? This so-called “opportunity” had done nothing but waste her precious time.
Yaeger didn’t even glance at the rewards. She turned to Rosalina, her voice urgent. "We’re out of time—run!"
She had already lost over twenty minutes. If they didn’t hurry, it might be too late. Rosalina didn’t know why her master was suddenly so desperate to flee, but she didn’t question it. She simply obeyed and bolted.
Both of them pushed their bodies to full speed. Side by side, they tore through the tunnels like a whirlwind.
Rosalina was briefly surprised that her master could match her speed. Then she recalled how easily Yaeger had defeated her and felt relieved.
‘To surpass even a stronger opponent at such a young age… As expected of my master! One day, you’ll be a supreme powerhouse!’
No obstacles stood in their way. Even so, it took them fifteen minutes to reach the entrance of the secret passage.
Yaeger’s expression hardened. It felt as if Richard’s footsteps were already closing in on her.
‘Twenty-three minutes and fifteen seconds left!'
The countdown on her display made her scowl even deeper.
"Master, I’ll open the passage now!" Understanding the urgency, Rosalina dashed to the wall and frantically searched for the hidden mechanism.
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At that moment, deep within the inner-city district, inside the Royal Palace…
"Useless!" Richard’s enraged scream echoed through the chamber, making the very walls tremble.
The gathered officials kept their heads bowed, not daring to meet the furious Emperor’s gaze. A closer look revealed their trembling bodies, their backs drenched in cold sweat.
"I’d be better off raising dogs than relying on you imbeciles!" Seated on his throne, Richard’s face contorted in fury, turning a sickly mix of red and black. The sheer intensity of his rage made him look downright monstrous.
Not a single soul dared to refute him. They understood all too well—the safest option was to endure his wrath in silence.
Faced with their utter silence, Richard felt his fury begin to wane, replaced by something heavier—sorrow. A deep, indescribable sense of tragedy settled over him.
‘Why is this so damn difficult?'
With a weary sigh, he sank back into his throne, one hand pressing against his forehead, his expression dark with frustration. Any other ruler would have inherited capable generals and wise officials. But him? He had inherited a court of fools.
What a joke.
Yet, not once did he question his own competence.
"Enough. Get out of my sight."
Richard waved a dismissive hand, his voice devoid of emotion. At his words, the officials hesitantly raised their heads, exchanging glances of astonishment at their Emperor’s sudden shift in demeanor.
Seeing the fury drained from his expression, they quietly exhaled in relief.
Even after the officials had all departed, Richard remained, staring out beyond the chamber. The sun had begun its descent, shadows stretching long as the night crept closer.
"In the end… I have to do everything myself." With a slow exhale, Richard rose to his feet. He descended the steps, his pace deliberate. Each step was slow, hesitant. Because with every step, he wrestled with his pride.
A Legendary-ranked powerhouse like him, personally hunting down a Platinum-ranked outsider… It was absurd. If word got out, he’d become the greatest laughingstock in the entire northern continent.
He could already picture the mockery, the disgrace, his name dragged through the mud. His face darkened at the thought.
‘As long as no one finds out, it’ll be fine! As long as there are no witnesses!’
‘No… if I go to the outer city now, there will be too many eyes. Do I kill them all? But they’re my citizens—ridiculous! No… I need a disguise.’
"I’ll wear a mask, at the very least," he muttered under his breath.
To Richard, even this was a humiliating concession. But even then, there was still a risk of being recognized. And if that happened…
"Then they’ll have no one to blame but themselves." A cold light flickered in his eyes, glowing an eerie shade of blue.
In the end, Richard made his decision—he would act personally.
Deep within the sewers, at that very moment…
Rosalina had successfully unlocked the entrance to the secret passage.
"Master, this passage is riddled with traps. And the final door—it has a complex unlocking process. It’s best if I lead the way," Rosalina said, her voice tinged with concern.
Yaeger barely reacted upon hearing about the traps ahead—she wasn’t the least bit concerned. With her absurdly high 666 Luck stat, she might as well have future sight. Traps? They were nothing more than minor inconveniences.
But the final door Rosalina mentioned? That was a different story. It wasn’t that she couldn’t open it—it was that she didn’t have the time. Even if she memorized the unlocking procedure, executing it without prior experience would take far too long.
‘Wait… I have Rosalina with me, don’t I?'
As the thought crossed her mind, Yaeger’s gaze locked onto the tall beauty beside her.
"Master?" Rosalina tilted her head, puzzled by the intense stare.
"I’ll explain later. Just hold on tight!" Without warning, Yaeger wrapped one arm around Rosalina’s waist and swept her legs up with the other.
"Waah!" Rosalina yelped in shock as she was effortlessly lifted off the ground. Before she could even process what was happening, Yaeger had already taken off, bolting into the passage like a streak of lightning.
It took a few moments for Rosalina to regain her composure. But when she did, she realized something astonishing—despite Yaeger’s insane speed, not a single trap had been triggered!