The Devil’s Cage

The giant figure that emerged from the light raised its head and stepped out with slow but proud steps.

The golden feathers were lustrous as the sunlight, the strong and powerful body possessed power that made one’s heart tremble.

The Griffin looked down with a judgmental gaze, sizing up Kieran.

It was different from the previous mirage version, the griffin before his eyes was not only real but had power that the mirage couldn’t compete with.

It was holy and dignified! Its presence was enough to subconsciously make men lower their heads in atonement.

A series of Spirit authentication even spammed Kieran’s vision yet Kieran acted as usual.

The Griffin gave a satisfactory cry, it sounded like a beast’s roar and a bird’s caw mixed together but inside Kieran’s heart, he heard the crying in the common language of the dungeon world.

“Summoner, say your wish!”

Kieran was shocked but since he had multiple encounters worth of experience, he quickly reacted to it.

“Please dispel the darkness before and release the bindings!”

Kieran didn’t say a request like “kill the elder” because he wasn’t sure would he get loots if the Griffin killed the elder.

Although the griffin before Kieran was summoned by the [Griffin Medal] and based on common rules, any item drop from the targets should be his. However, with Creature of Desire as an example, Kieran wasn’t willing to risk it.

So, Kieran must kill Elder Juen with his own hands.

“As you wish!”

The Griffin uttered softly.

The Griffin didn’t make any big movements except for a few steps yet a few steps forward from the Griffin started a ripple in the paused darkness further away.

Ripple after ripple, it eventually swelled into layers of wave, when the movements reached its peak…

Boom!

The darkness exploded similar to a ignited explosive.

After the explosion, the darkness vanished into nothingness and the hall was also gone.

Kieran returned back to the street in Edland City.

Further away from him was Elder Juen on the ground, falling flat on his back with his incomplete body remaining as if he was dead.

But without the system notification and no drop of items from the body, Kieran would not get tricked, but some others were different.

At the end of the street came a group of three.

Standing in front of the trio was a elder with white hair and beard and behind him was a man and a woman.

Kieran didn’t know the man but he was too familiar with the woman.

It was Anne Aldrich Augen, Kieran’s important ally.

Though Anne Aldrich Augen’s situation was less than pleasant, not only was her hands seized behind her back and her mouth was stuffed with a shaggy cloth, her face even had obvious wounds.

The female knight, Iona who should have protected here was nowhere to be found.

“No wonder you are the heir to the Griffin Church, you actually surprised me with the marvelous spectacle of the griffin reappearing in this world within my living years! That scene back in the day really did leave an impression on me. But… Can I request you to ask the griffin to leave? As long as it is here, it really scares me.”

The whited hair and beard elder said with a smile. He sounded very warm but between the lines of his words was well-hidden malicious intent.

Especially when the elder’s words subsided, the knight behind him drew his sword and placed it over on Anne Aldrich Augen’s neck.

“Ughh, Mmm Mmeee!”

Anne Aldrich Augen couldn’t speak at will because of her stuffed mouth but from her expression and non-stop shaking of her head, she clearly expressed her thoughts to Kieran.

“Stop moving!”

The knight who seized Anne Aldrich Augen’s hands behind her shouted at her. He straightened his sword before using the middle part to hardly smack her shoulder.

As bone cracking sounds sounded, Anne Aldrich Augen’s shoulder instantly turned bloody and mushy but the stubborn lady struggled even more fiercely.

Likewise, the knight who seized her didn’t hold back either.

“Stop it!”

When the knight straightened his sword again, Kieran yelled.

The elder raised his hand with a smile to stop the knight’s action behind him, then quietly looked at Kieran who was communicating with the Griffin.

There were heavy dreads lurking in the deepest part of the elder’s eyes.

“I can offer you extra help and you would only have to pay a minimal cost.”

The Griffin suggested as it felt disgust at the scene before its eyes.

“No thanks, thank you for your goodwill.”

Though Kieran shook his head at the offer from the Griffin.

The Griffin looked at Kieran slightly surprised and a few seconds later, the Griffin showed a smile.

It was hard for anyone to imagine how an eagle would smile but when Kieran saw the Griffin, his heart felt like it was smiling at him.

“Interesting hybrid.”

After leaving such words behind, the [Griffin Medal] which had been held tightly in Kieran’s hand shone brightly again. The Griffin then slowly walked into the light.

The light then swiftly dimmed down and the griffin’s figure started to fade away.

Until the light was completely gone, all that was left was the medal itself on Kieran’s hand.

The elder’s dread in his eyes finally went away together with the griffin’s absence and it increased the smiles on his face.

“Now, please return the Griffin Medal that I’ve given to you!” The elder said.

“Sure, we’ll trade one on one! I give you the medal, you give me Anne!” Kieran said.

“You ungrateful bastard! How dare you negotiate with the Lord Overseer of the Saint Relic Association!” The knight scolded loudly but the overseer waved his hand, expressing he didn’t mind.

“Of course,” he said.

The knight then released Anne Aldrich Augen’s hands.

The lady then staggered towards Kieran as she pulled out the stuffed cloth in her mouth, uttering in a blurry manner, “You can’t give him that! It is the only thing he fears!”

Though, Kieran turned a deaf ear and tossed the [Griffin Medal] towards the elder.

After using the last usage counter on [Griffin Medal], the medal was almost trash to Kieran. It would be great though if he could recycle the trash but…

The overseer caught the medal and as he looked at the medal in his hand, he muttered to himself in a delighted manner, “It has always been in front of me yet I didn’t notice, I really have to thank you, the heir of Griffin Church! So, after your death, I’ll let the people sing songs about the battle between you and Elder Juen! If you can die a hero. I suppose you can die without regrets? Well of course, Ms. Anne Aldrich Augen here will go before you!”

The moment the overseer’s words subsided, he appeared behind the staggering Anne Aldrich Augen and drove his hand towards the back of her heart but Kieran was faster. He grabbed Anne Aldrich Augen and pulled her back, switching her position with his.

Pum!

The overseer’s palm was then stabbed into Kieran’s chest!

“Noooo!” Anne Aldrich Augen cried out in sorrow.