The Return of the Iron-blood Sword Hound
chapter-376

Chapter 376 Poseidon (2)

“What’s going on?”

Lieutenant Bastille, who oversees the entire labor camp, rushed in urgently.

The soldiers pointed deep into the pit as they spoke.

“There was a suspicious explosion in the central area of Level Nine.”

“It’s different in scale from previous incidents. Seems serious.”

“Due to lava and gas, we haven’t been able to investigate further due to the risk of additional collapse.”

Having received reports from his subordinates, Lieutenant Bastille spoke coldly.

“Send a few prisoners to investigate.”

“What? B-but if we go down there now, there’s a risk of further collapse…”

“I said send the prisoners. Offer a day off from labor and a few pieces of bread for those willing will step up.”

The guards fell silent at the lieutenant’s words.

Despite being prisoners, some were willing to risk their lives, for a day of rest and a few crumbs of bread.

But surprisingly, there were volunteers.

“I’ll go.”

Vikir stepped forward.

This caught Lieutenant Bastille off guard.

“You? What’s your angle?”

“Nothing much. Just want some bread.”

“Hmm…”

Lieutenant Bastille pondered for a moment.

But Vikir, since his entry, had caused trouble only once, and had been a model prisoner for the past two years.

The lieutenant nodded shortly after.

“Fine. Can you make it through the flames and gas?”

“If you release my cuffs, I can make it through anything.”

“Don’t play games…”

“Just kidding. I’ll be back.”

With a dry joke, Vikir stepped into the pit.

Crackle!

The fierce gas storms, flames, and lava spewing from the surface were difficult for even Vikir to handle.

At times like these, the extreme physical and magical resistance stats he had built up in the abyss tree were a great help.

“Hey, Decarabia. Can you deploy a shield?”

[I don’t have much mana left, so it’ll only be small.]

“That’ll do.”

At Vikir’s words, Decarabia erected a small barrier, enveloping a few meters around him.

Hiding behind the curtains of flames and gas, Vikir brushed off the hot lava up to his knees and moved forward.

‘I can’t hold out much longer…’

Staying in a place like this without mana will eventually burn my legs to a crisp without leaving a trace. Vikir quickened his steps as much as possible, determined to find the reason behind the explosion.

Soon enough, beyond the dense sulfur gas, flickering flames, and the radiant red aura emitted by the lava, a colossal shadow emerged. “…!” Vikir could tell at a glance. It was the presence he had been searching for all along.

Seeing it with his own eyes for the first time. Yet, there was no doubt.

In the heart of Nouvellebag, the deepest part of Level Nine. Could there be anything else here besides the ‘Poseidon’? Vikir quietly lifted his head and admired what lay before him.

An oval-shaped sphere, about five meters in diameter, covered entirely in flickering blue flames, looked like an ‘egg’ of some sort.

“Found you. Poseidon.” Vikir reached out and gently caressed its surface.

Underneath the sphere, root-like structures made of aura extended into the ground, showing fierce resistance even to slight shocks.

Bang! Crack! Boom!

Due to this resistance, explosions seemed to continuously occur in the surroundings.

Thwack! Vikir extended his fist and struck the surface of Poseidon. Then something amazing happened. Swish- Poseidon absorbed the shock created by Vikir’s fist. Squirm! The flickering blue flames, however faintly, grew slightly larger. The surrounding light also seemed to brighten a bit.

‘As expected. It grows by absorbing external shocks.’ Vikir nodded.

Finding Poseidon was just the beginning; from now on, it would require numerous impacts to make it grow.

‘Indeed, there’s a reason for the saying ‘more you hit it, the more it grows.’’ Vikir stroked his chin. Just as discovering Poseidon wasn’t a one-man job, neither was activating it.

‘However, now that it’s been found, 90% of the work is done. The rest is just a matter of time.’ Of course, Vikir had all his plans laid out.

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

Vikir turned back and made his way out of the swamp of lava. Soon, everyone who saw Vikir emerging onto the rocky terrain had to be startled.

“Oh, he’s not dead?”

“How did he even get into the hellish depths?”

“Maybe he just came back from the entrance?”

Despite the murmurs around him, Vikir paid them no mind.

“There’s a peculiar lump of lava inside. Seems to absorb shocks.”

“…Absorbs shocks?”

Lieutenant Bastille looked impressed. A substance that absorbs shocks wasn’t particularly welcome, especially when you had to dig tunnels.

As the gas and steam cleared, the blue sphere Vikir had mentioned became more evident. A mysterious presence that caused tumultuous explosions with even the slightest touch.

Lieutenant Bastille wielded a large sword and launched an attack.

Swish-swish-crack!

The blue sphere effortlessly withstood even the aura of a Top tier Graduator.

“It’s true! It absorbed all of Lieutenant Bastille’s attacks!”

“Huh? That lump… seems a bit larger than before, doesn’t it?”

“It looks like an egg, which is kind of disturbing.”

Even the guards were murmuring in confusion.

With that mysterious entity occupying the center of the work site, labor became difficult. There was no way to proceed further into the surroundings, as any impact from tools like picks or shovels would be absorbed.

Moreover, if one accidentally disturbed the root-like aura veins, massive explosions would inevitably occur, making the situation even more challenging.

Lieutenant Bastille grimaced.

“If just touching these roots causes such explosions… imagine if the core of that lump were to explode. It would be chaos.”

There was a possibility that Nouvellebag Fortress would be completely destroyed. In the worst-case scenario, the dormant volcano might erupt again, causing volcanic activity.

“This is a damn mess. Wasn’t Nouvellebag supposed to be an extinct volcano?”

However, the aura veins spreading around Lieutenant Bastille in real-time, along with the continuously erupting sulfur gas and steam, and the bubbling magma, were clearly not reassuring.

They had initially thought it was just old geothermal activity trapped beneath the surface, but now it seemed a bit more complicated.

“Summon the geologists. We need a thorough investigation to determine if Nouvellebag is truly a volcano.”

However, before Lieutenant Bastille’s order could be fully issued,

“What nonsense is this?”

A man in a worn uniform stepped forward from behind.

Major D’Ordume. As he appeared, Lieutenant Bastille immediately straightened up and saluted.

D’Ordume waved his hand dismissively, barely acknowledging the salute before getting straight to the point.

“Repeat what you just said. Something about a volcano? You want to redo the investigation?”

“Yes! It’s about the unidentified object found at the Level Nine labor camp…”

At the lieutenant’s words, D’Ordume frowned.

“Show me.”

Following the lieutenant’s lead, D’Ordume descended to where the blue sphere was located.

“It absorbs shocks upon impact. And if you disturb the aura veins underneath, it triggers violent explosions, which the sphere absorbs as well. If Nouvellebag turns out to be an active volcano…”

“Useless chatter. Nouvellebag is definitely a dormant volcano.”

D’Ordume dismissed the lieutenant’s words and continued.

“Don’t extend the construction period due to baseless concerns. Do you know how long it would take to redo the investigation? At least ten years.”

“But…”

“If the construction period extends, what about the astronomical budget involved? Will you take responsibility?”

The lieutenant fell silent as D’Ordume hammered his point home.

“The labor will proceed as planned. Whatever it takes, meet the construction deadline.”

“…Yes.”

“This is also for our benefit. Once Level Ten is completed, won’t I surpass that useless old hag in terms of performance? I’ll become the warden, and you’ll soon be promoted to chief guard.”

The lieutenant nodded in agreement with D’Ordume’s words.

“You’re right, Major.”

“Exactly. Even if an explosion occurs, it’s not like anyone important will die, just those worthless prisoners. If you’re worried, tell the guards not to approach that area.”

Finishing his words, D’Ordume’s eyes emitted a cold gleam.

“The performance evaluation season is coming.”

“…Yes.”

“That woman, Souaré, is keeping the old man in solitary confinement. Despite doing nothing much, she always gets top marks solely for that.”

“…Yes.”

“And what about me? Leading the suppression of prisoner riots, going outside to procure food, always fulfilling the duties entrusted to me by the warden.”

“…Yes.”

‘D’Ordume’s words sound bitter,’ thought Lieutenant Bastille, experiencing something unprecedented. With a slight click of his teeth, D’Ordume concluded his speech.

“If our quarterly performance scores are similar, does that truly reflect fairness? Why should I be considered as the next candidate for warden alongside that woman?”

Lieutenant Bastille found himself in an unfamiliar situation. With a grunt and a nod, D’Ordume wrapped up his speech.

“That’s why the Level Ten construction I oversee must be completed within the deadline, no matter what. That’s the only way for me to surpass her. Once I become the next warden, you’ll be the next chief guard. You understand what I mean?”

“Just follow along,” replied the lieutenant politely.

Satisfied with the response, D’Ordume nodded and disappeared down the corridor. Left alone, Lieutenant Bastille sighed, feeling uneasy.

“There’s a foreboding feeling. If that thing explodes, it’s not just Nouvellebag that’s at risk. It might even affect the climate…”

Lost in thought for a while, Lieutenant Bastille eventually shook his head.

“It’s just unnecessary worry. I tend to worry too much.”

Deciding to resume labor as usual from tomorrow, he brushed off concerns about getting involved in the political struggle between D’Ordume and the manly dwarf woman, both considered as contenders for the next warden.

‘…The situation is finally wrapping up,’ thought Vikir, who had been quietly eavesdropping behind the pillar.

He melted into the darkness, holding the bag of bread he received as a reward.