On the next daesh, Zack and other party's leaders are visiting our base along with Guild Master and his Vice Leaders to check the injured. I told them they are fine right now and only need to rest one daesh or two daesh again. After that, I asked Guild Master about how he can be trapped inside the dungeon.
Guild Master told us when they arrived there, everything was fine and nothing happened. They built their basecamp like usual and did normal activities such as expanding the cave, strengthening the ceilings, finding water source, etc.
One day, when four of their party members went outside to find stones and soils, they encounter the Abyssal Reaper. Then, the Abyssal Reaper struck two of them until they almost died. The other two who survived the Abyssal Reaper's attack picked their dying friends and ran back to base.
They told Guild Master about the Abyssal Reaper existence and Guild Master decided to take it down because he thought he had enough people to do raid battle. However, when they had stationed their members in the specific positions and tried to ambush the Abyssal Reaper, it spotted them and immediately used its big scythe to sweep all of Guild Master's party.
Zack crossed his arms on his chest, "What happened next, Guild Master?"
Guild Master said many of his party members were dying and they must tend the injured quickly. However, the injured numbers were much larger than the survivors were, so they thought other ways to save them. Thankfully, they managed to save all of the dying members thanks to Rogues and Knights, as well as the storage magic. Then, they retreated back to their base quickly to treat the injured.
They treated the injured for a daesh or less, but when one of their members wanted to go outside to ask other parties' help or in other word our parties' help, the door is sealed with unknown ancient magic. The member returned and reported that back to the Guild Master so, they decided to break it open.
However, when they tried to break the door and unseal the magic, a spell activated. The spell had effects that drain the target's mana, stamina and life slowly. Even the Guild's [Priests] and [Clerics] can't cure the debuff. Then, they can't do anything but slowly withered away. Their food rations that supposedly were enough for two movanth depleted in two daesh to support their life since their HP, Mana and Stamina decreased fast.
Guild Master said the injured were the ones who needed the food and water most until the healthy ones can't eat properly and turned sick. Their [Priests] and [Paladins] can't do anything to help the injured except withered away and grew weaker every day, except the Dark Elves and Imps who have [Dark Dragon Gods' Blessing].
"Well, I…no, we had given up for our life on that time, but all of you came to us. I can't thank enough for all of you." Guild Master and his Vice Leaders bowed down their head to us.
Well, Guild Master's words are true. Most of Guild's Priest, Cleric, Druid and Sage are from Holy Elf, Undine Elf and Sylph Elf Race. If they haven't had a contact with their elements for two daesh or more, they will have a [Body Degeneration Symptoms].
Normally this is would happen, if their body hasn't received enough [Natural Mana] from nature itself. For example, a Holy Elf needs a light to recharge their mana and refresh their body. But, if they turn off their [RA] [Racial Ability] that has relation with [Natural Mana Recharging] for example like [Light Dragon Gods' Blessing], they will not encounter this symptom.
"That's why The Dark Elves and Imps were quite healthy at that time. Though, they were still no match for us."
I chuckled, "You don't say, Zack-dono. They do have [Dark Dragon Gods' Blessing] and [Companion of Darkness] as their [RA] [Racial Ability], but they haven't anything to fill their stomach for the past few daesh so that's why they were weak."
"Yeah, you are right but leaving that aside, Guild Master…you said you didn't meet the Abyssal Reaper when you arrived on the dungeon for the first time?"
"Yes, that's true Frantoire-dono. Tavaniris-dono told me that you and Alexandria-dono met a ghost in Viorellia-dono's basecamp?" Guild Master raised his left eyebrow.
"Yes, it's true. Then, the ghost clung into Ishizaki-dono here and blabbered unknown language on him."
"Wait, wait there Tavaniris-dono…Rudolph-dono, did you meet her when all of you dig the cave?"
"No, I didn't, Naval-dono. I only remember when we were digging the cave, we found a treasure box with strange language and color. I informed this woman and we agreed to open that when our mission has done. I don't know what happens since I was mapping the area and when I returned, the base had been destroyed like that."
"Why you decided not to open the chest?" Then, Kenzia places her hand on her cheek.
"Well, we are afraid we will be sucked into strange dimension. The chest can be either trap or quest." We tried to analyze the matter after hearing their explanation but we failed to reach a conclusion. But suddenly Robert glances at Rudolph and he opened his mouth.
"Excuse me, Rudolph-dono. May I ask?" Robert asked Rudolph and he nodded.
"When you were mapping the cave and outside area, were there any people who guarded the basecamp?"
"Hmm…no…everyone was busy creating the base…eh…" He suddenly looked at Viorelle but she glanced away.
"Why are you keep fidgeting and you have been silent in this discussion so far, dear Viorelle-sama? Did you perhaps know something?" Rudolph is staring and smiling at Viorelle.
"W-what a-are you ta-talking about, Rudolph-chan? Ahaha…ahaha…" She glances away.
"Rudolph-dono, did the person who guarded the base was…"
"Yes, Alberto-dono. It was her." Rudolph grabbed Viorelle's shoulders and she jolted.
"Don't tell me…" We stare at her together.
"Care to explain something, dear my beloved leader?" Rudolph grips her shoulders tightly and smiles menacingly to her. We stand up from our chairs and surround her while clenching our hands.
"FFFUUNNNNNNNNNNNYYYYYAAAAAAAAAA….!!!!"
We "interrogated" (tortured) her for a heverra and she told us everything without a single of lie. Well, we made her confess mainly because Rania joined the "party" and interrogated her with "her ways" until we needed to turn our head or glancing to another side.
From her explanation alone, we learnt that the boys from her party who knew the chest location and shape went together with Rudolph. After Rudolph left, only she knew the location and shape of the chest. Then, she secretly went on the chest location alone and opened the chest. She did that after all of her party members went on exploration or busy creating the base.
She found a pretty pearl necklace inside the chest and she took it. But suddenly two ghosts appeared in front of her and asked her to return the pearl. But she refused to return it, then she ran away from them. When she looked back, she saw a huge shadow appeared from the box and captured the little ghost. Then, the huge shadow disappeared.
The shadow flew to dungeon where Guild Master stationed and at the same time, Guild Master's group was busy creating their base. I asked Del to confirm this and he said it's often to meet a [Quest Trap] inside a strange looking chest. His description about the chest's shape that triggers a [Quest Trap] is similar to Rudolph's explanation.
"Fu…funya…please…sniff…forgive…sniff…me…nya…" She said while crying hard.
She kneels down before us. I heard Khazim, Arnold, Toval and Ello's are laughing hysterically as well as Rania. I saw my party members looked at her with disbelieve expression and the cured Guild Master party members looked her with angry gaze. Meanwhile, Rudolph was covering his face with his hands.
"Viorelle-dono…you almost killed 200 people as well as us. Did you know that?"
"I-I know…sniff…please…forgive…sniff…me…Zack-chan…" We looked at Zack and he shook his head. The Guild Master is also covering his face with his hand.
"Please, if you want to punish her, let me also receive the same punishment as her." Rudolph bows his head to Guild Master. Other party members started whispering after they saw that.
("I heard [Istheris Sunaria] Party's achievements were from the Vice Leader's hard works, they said the Leader did nothing but fooling around or being clumsy.")
Well, this is bad. If Guild Master doesn't say anything, Viorelle's name and her party's name will be stained.
"Please punish me too, Guild Master. As her guardian, it's totally my fault that I wasn't aware of her action." Nan also bows down his head to Guild Master.
("…She was the one who is at fault, why is her Vice Leader and brother shielding her? Did she use them to protect her from her own fault? What a wicked girl.")
("I bet there is no party leader as foolish as her…")
("She is crying only to gain sympathy from other party leaders and the Guild Master himself…")
The amount of people who are trash talking Viorelle behind us is a lot more than before. I know Viorelle isn't suited to become a party leader since she is a clumsy girl, but you don't have any rights to critique her like that.
"What the fuck all of you talking about?! It's normal for people to make one or two mistakes in their life, from the smallest until biggest one! Do you think you are better than her?! She is shouldering all of the responsibility as a party leader, and your safely is also her responsibility. Then, what about you? You are just talking trash behind her. Did you know she was the one who saved your ass by dragging you out from battleground, shielded you and tended you when we fought the Abyssal Reaper? Even ignorance has a limit you know."
As Kenzia shouted at the people who whispered behind us, Guild Master took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Meanwhile, the people fell silent after Kenzia shouted and glared at them with angry gaze.
"Viorelle, I as Guild Master will—"
"LEADER! LEADER!" Jack slammed the door and rushed in with scared expression.
"Jack, what's happened?!"
"THE RED RAIN! THE RED RAIN HAS OCCURRED!"
Jack's words are similar to thunder on a clear day in our ears. Of course, we are shocked…very shocked even after hearing that. We know Jack isn't a man that loves to make joke like Toval and his scared yet serious face is enough to convince all of us. I ran outside of the meeting room, followed by Robert and Jack, as soon as we reached outside, Robert pulled me back and said that I shouldn't take any step further than the entrance gate.
"That's hell you are walking into, Aniki."
The crimson sky greeted me as soon as I looked above at the sky and the crimson raindrops rubbed my cheek with their cold sensation. The air around me is heavy and thick, its reeks of sins and malice of those who died in this cursed rain.
This crimson rain robed every life that it touches, without any care to the weak or strong, all of them died and withered away, without able to say any words of regret, all that's left are sin and malice. Deep red blood is pouring out of the ground as if the earth itself is crying.
The trees are withered and decaying as if screaming in agony, crying and begging to their Lord to save them from this calamity and the cry of the animals can be heard from the forest, it's a high pitched and gut-wrenching cries. The birds are falling to the ground, dead and they withered away, a sign that the sky has been tainted with depravity and curse of our Lord.
"Well, this is truly a shocking sight. Truthfully, I know this calamity will happen sooner or later and I know this calamity will occur when we are conducting this mission…but, I'm not expecting it to come this fast…"
"Guild Master, isn't this calamity just ended 12 Eelvariash ago? Did this calamity has an exact time period?"
Guild Master crossed his arms on his chest, "Yes, it just ended 12 Eelvariash ago, but I…no, we don't know anything about this calamity, even all kingdoms in the world don't know when exactly this calamity will happen or end. It just comes and goes after ravaging anything that it touches. I—sorry, wait a bit."
Guild Master answered the call with a sense of urgency. After a few minerval talking with someone on the other side, he begins talking with serious face. Then, his face turns sour and grumpy as if he wants to be angry with the person who is talking with him but he couldn't. He just covered his eyes with his right hand and sighed heavily as he closed the call. Thus, he asked all of us to return to the meeting room. Then, he took a deep breathe.
"I just received an emergency mission from Queen Anne. Now, hear me out…"
Robert smirks and mumbles, "Finally, the main dish has arrived…"
---------------------------------------
On another place, a demon is sitting on the top of a ruined tower along with its dragons. He is murmuring something then a black dragon appears from another plane along with his black minions that has appearance like a corrupted Minotaur, Elf, Dwarf, Human, and Harpy. Crimson blood is overflowing from their mouth and body then it fell onto Gaia, tainting her with their debaucheries blood and breath.
Then, a man with a tall hat came with a woman with black hair. They walked leisurely to the demon with calm expression and then the man with tall hat walks on the demon's back and lowering his body to reach the demon's face once he stands on the demon's right shoulder.
"Oya, oya…there you are, suddenly disappearing like that with pathetic expression on your ugly face. What's wrong? Did papa scold you because your own foolishness?" He asked the demon with mocking tone.
"Un yer geileth." (That is none of your business)
"OF COURSE, THIS IS MY BUSINESS YOU IDIOT! IF YOU FAILED HERE, I'M THE ONE WHO WILL RECEIVE THE BLAME AND PUNISHMENT, YOU STUPID GOAT!"
The demon turns its head to left, averting its face from the man with tall hat's angry gaze and expression. Seeing that, the man with tall hat is getting more and more upset and he pulls the demon's horn until it breaks. Angered by this, the demon stood and smashed the man with tall hat's face so hard that it made him thrown away.
On the mid-air, the man with tall hat picked something from another dimension that resembles a claymore and stabbed it to ground to prevent him being blown away any further. The man with tall hat used his weapon to launch him back to the demon. Surprised with his sudden comeback, the demon quickly blocked the man with tall hat's attack with its great axe.
Meanwhile, the woman with black hair is just standing idle near them and staring at their fight with distant gaze as if she is watching a mere dog fight.
"Jareyol-lus reishet!" (You piece of shit!)
"Hah! Same for you!"
However, their fight is interrupted when two arrows suddenly came at them at high speed and they quickly blocked it with their weapon as they jumped back from each other. Then, a man with glasses walked out from the shadow while looking at them with annoyed expression.
"Can't you stop that worthless dogfight? I can't believe in the middle of this holy mission that our Lords bestowed and trusted to us…you still have time to fight to each other rather than make this mission GOING SMOOTHLY. Cih, what a bunch of useless scoundrels…"
Seeing him, both the demon and the man with tall hat lowered their weapon. Then, the man with glasses fixed his glasses position and sighed. He picked a watch from his pouch and sighed again.
"I have wasted 3 minerval 32 seckina just for this foolishness. You two, don't tell me you haven't prepared anything that our Lords told us to welcome our honored guests?"
The man with tall hat unsummoned his weapon and raised his hat then he says, "Of course, I have done my job perfectly. You don't need to tell me twice ——————. It's better if you ask that stupid goat over there."
The man with glasses glances at the demon and the demon says, "Kanse-Erhal-ivelia aink:list-ose murvel aus'terie-ell" (No worries, everything is settled per Master's orders)
A moment after that, a woman with white hair appeared from the shadow and she walks to the man with glasses with wide smirk on her face. She told him that the main force has moved from Virizia Plain and "they" also have started climbing the massive crack on the western forest, leaded by the black giant with six arms. She finished her sentence by giving the man with glasses estimate time of arrival of the enemy's main force, their main force, their Lords and their nemeses. Hearing her report, the man with glasses sighed again and ordered her to quicken the arrival of their main force since they only have little time left before their Lords' arrival.
"Just ask —————— to teleport his kin. It will take a long time if they climb the massive crack from deep of Gaia."
"Heh, you sure a man who never waste any kind of opportunity, hmm?"
After giving an answer with mocking tone, the woman with white hair disappeared. Then, the man with glasses walks to the edge of tower.
"Vas elrim meythellium" (This is the time…)