Lord of Rot

”So the dungeon of Pebble Castle is a Crypt. No wonder I couldn’t find it.”

Even if Leech had tried to dig his way in from outside the castle, he never would have found the dungeon, because Pebble Castle doesn’t have one.

Leech didn’t know where Crypts came from, but he knew they were independent spaces. The original Leech had possessed the ability to capture these spaces and establish them near himself.

’So this Grand Sorcerer must have stumbled upon the Pebble Castle Crypt by accident, and he very likely found something valuable inside.’

But the red dot indicated that the Grand Sorcerer had only found the Crypt; he didn’t have the ability to claim it for himself.

Leech had considered the possibility of others entering Crypts long before this.

For example, the handsome and alluring Guy Marvin had become a Transcendent only after accidentally falling into the Water Nymph’s Crypt and receiving the nymph’s blessing.

But this was the first time Leech had seen someone like the Grand Sorcerer, who could occupy a Crypt and build up a force within it.

’Philip and the others must be imprisoned in the Crypt, too.’

Leech drew his shortsword and gently pried at a floor tile, lifting it up.

He didn’t know what kind of Magic the Grand Sorcerer had used, but based on his own understanding of it, the man probably didn’t know Space Magic. Instead, he must have used some other method to cover the entrance to the Crypt, allowing only certain people to enter.

Unsure of the Grand Sorcerer’s strength, Leech didn’t want to force his way in. He just wanted to turn the ”red dot” into a ”yellow dot.”

That way, he would be in an unbeatable position.

’I might not be able to beat you, but what can you do if I just shut the door on you and trap you for a few years, or even a decade?’

Just as he was working on it, the ground suddenly opened up. Stones rapidly shifted and formed a staircase leading down.

Leech backed away. In his vision, the red dot had already turned yellow, and the yellow dot had moved to an empty spot and turned green.

The green dot expanded. It was now buildable.

”Huh?” A man who had been at the dinner table earlier walked out. He looked around in confusion, even seeming to think Leech was in the way as he stepped around him to look elsewhere.

”There’s nothing here. How strange.”

The man turned to go back, but Leech followed right behind him, dashing into the Crypt first.

The stone steps rose quickly, once again blocking the entrance to the Crypt. It was about five or six bricks thick—something he could probably smash open with one or two full-strength punches.

As his feet touched the ground, the environment of the Crypt left Leech slightly astonished.

It was a small, sunken basin. Patches of light dotted the ceiling, illuminating the subterranean space with a visibility comparable to dusk.

The underground space was about the size of Maitian Village.

Inside the small basin, which was surrounded by hills on three sides, piles of things were strewn about haphazardly.

There were goods, as well as gold and silver.

’It’s all stolen goods.’ Some of the chests even bore the crest of Leopold.

’The original treasures of this Crypt must have been taken by that Grand Sorcerer.’

The deeper he went into the basin, the more that feeling of being watched—like when he was on the city wall—returned, forcing Leech to be even more cautious.

In the very center of the basin, a single red-haired man stood, seeming to be fiddling with something.

Beside him were Philip Cavendish and the others, chained up. The five of them were pale and clearly injured.

Leech also noticed strange runes shimmering on the chains. It was these runes that made it impossible for even Transcendents to break free.

’To capture five Transcendents... his power is extraordinary.’

He was too far away to see clearly, so Leech walked straight over. With the [Jar of Invisibility], the risk of being exposed was minimal anyway.

But as soon as he got close, the red-haired man suddenly turned his head toward him and flung a ball of fire straight at Leech’s head.

’He can see me?’ Leech retreated quickly. With his Extraordinary strength, dodging the fireball was easy enough.

But after seeing him retreat, the red-haired man surprisingly didn’t pursue.

’No, that’s not right. He didn’t notice me.’

Leech looked down at the ground and began to understand why.

When one wore the [Jar of Invisibility], their presence was infinitely diminished, like a speck of dust or a tiny pebble.

You become so common that you are simply ignored.

However, in the case of a Magic Array that required precision and care, anything foreign would be swept away, no matter what it was.

Leech had just been ”swept away.”

His presence was low, but he hadn’t truly vanished.

There was a Magic Array on the ground. He didn’t know its purpose, but it gave him a very bad feeling. As far as he was concerned, the best thing to do with an enemy’s Magic Array was to destroy it.

The Red-haired Grand Sorcerer turned to look at Philip and the other four. ”The world began in darkness, and all things will one day return to the eternal Night.”

Sitting on the ground, Philip looked up at the Red-haired Grand Sorcerer. ”You shouldn’t be doing this.”

He seemed to know the man.

Leech frowned slightly. ’Red hair... it’s hard not to make the connection. In the East Gorge, red-haired bloodlines only come from the Golden Thorn Sword Clan.’

”I was abandoned in the darkness by my own brother,” the Red-haired Grand Sorcerer said, his voice calm. ”But I heard the whispers of the Black Celestial God. Darkness is not exile; it is the path home. All men must die! Light is the shackle, and honor is but an illusion.”

His words grew agitated and indignant. ”The sun will eventually die. The Night is eternal.”

”Philip, your oath is to protect Leopold. And I, too, am a Leopold.”

The Red-haired Grand Sorcerer slowly raised his hands. ”You will witness the descent of the Black Celestial God with me.”

He suddenly stopped and turned to demand, ”Where is the Darkgold? We’re still short nine! Nine!”

”Grand Sorcerer,” a guard standing nearby immediately lowered his head. ”I... I don’t know. I’ll go right away.”

”Then go kill nine people,” the Grand Sorcerer said.

”Ah?” The man was stunned.

The Red-haired Grand Sorcerer said, ”Or I can kill you right now.”

”I’ll go kill them right now!”

Watching from the side, Leech frowned. ’How did gods get involved in this?’

’And he said they needed ten before, but now it’s nine. Could it be that the one I killed also counted?’

The whole situation was bizarre, but he knew one thing for sure: he absolutely could not let that god, whatever it was, descend.

He rushed forward, focusing his mind.

Magic: Stun!

VMMM!

The Grand Sorcerer’s body froze for a split second. Seizing the opportunity, Leech threw a punch.

The punch felt like it had struck an iron plate. Even though Leech was wearing Dragonbone Plate Armor, the recoil made his hand ache.

The Grand Sorcerer was sent flying by the surprise punch. His body skipped across the ground like a stone on water, bouncing five or six times before he started tumbling end over end. He rolled a dozen more times before finally coming to a stop, facedown on the ground.

While the sorcerer was flying through the air, Leech stomped his foot, shattering the Magic Array on the ground.

”Stop!” The Red-haired Grand Sorcerer scrambled up. After taking Leech’s full-powered punch, he was only suffering from a slight nosebleed.

”Not a chance!”

Leech leaped into the air and stomped down hard again.

Two more deep footprints appeared in the ground. He then used the moment to rush toward Philip and the others, twisting and snapping the chains that bound them. The Array patterns on the chains that had suppressed the Transcendents shattered.

Their suppressed Extraordinary power returned.

”Sir Leech!”

Although Leech had a strange pot on his head, his Dragonbone Plate Armor was one of a kind and easy to recognize.

The others’ spirits were lifted as well, but their faces were still pale, and they looked extremely weak.

”Let’s get out of here first,” Leech said. ”Take Miss Agnes and go.”

”Right!” Philip and the others didn’t argue.

The six of them had no intention of fighting and immediately turned to flee.

They were Transcendents, after all, so their running speed was nothing to scoff at. As they neared the exit, Leech and Philip struck at the same time.

Compared to Leech’s simple, unadorned punch, Philip’s body erupted in a blinding golden light that hurt to look at.

BOOM! The exit was blasted open, and the six of them leaped out.

Leech was the last one out. He shouted to the other five, ”Go rescue Miss Agnes! The rest of you, open the castle gates! I’ll destroy the entrance and bury him alive in there!”

Having witnessed Leech’s strength, no one doubted him. Leech, in turn, quickly looked toward the empty patch of ground.

Build on the green dot.

A tombstone shot up from the ground.

The groove on the tombstone was already filled with green moss.

Crypt, close!