Chapter 72

Flying through the air with Pierson’s party following behind, Yara forced back a laugh. She had behaved like Elaine did when commanding subordinates back in the Conceptual Dimension, exuding a regal bearing and speaking in a tone that left little room for discussion. That, combined with her hidden status from manipulating karma, led to Pierson believing he was dealing with a figure on the level of his Commander.

Even if Pierson saw through Yara’s charade, Yara had Markus and Ska’dur hiding nearby, ready to reinforce her should things turn hostile. The two had spent the past month leveling like crazy and had surpassed Yara in level, reaching level 635 and 642, respectively.

Ska’dur’s growth didn’t come as a surprise.

The foundation Ska’dur had built in the Innate Dimension was far greater than anything Yara had ever seen, and she was one of the oldest people in the Grandsky Realm. Ska’dur’s stats, skillset, and skill levels at level 500 were so high he could fight and defeat a monster 200 levels above him.

Yara anticipated Ska’dur’s growth, but for Markus to keep up with him was outside her expectations. It wasn’t that she looked down on her son or thought he was less talented, but that Ska’dur built his foundation over five centuries while Markus was less than a hundred years old.

What made up for the difference, and what Yara didn’t expect, was the evolution of Markus’s innate gift. A month ago, when Markus killed Elaine, Yara noticed that Markus had changed after the event. He became sharper and more determined. Unfortunately, Markus refused to elaborate on the specifics whenever Yara asked, causing her some pain. All she knew was that Markus had unlocked a new function for his innate gift. It was that same function that allowed Markus to match Ska’dur’s leveling speed.

Of course, a major reason they leveled so much was that Yara spent the past month using karma to find groups of level 650+ monsters for them to kill. Otherwise, they’d have wasted half their time aimlessly running around.

While some leaders might’ve become concerned or wary of others growing stronger than them, Yara instead felt relief. Information gathering and clairvoyance were where she excelled. She was a strategist – not a fighter.

All of these things drifted through Yara’s mind as she escorted Pierson’s party to an isolated compound in the jungle. Beneath the structure was an underground tunnel that led directly to the military base inside the mountain behind New Hope. By the time Pierson’s party entered the base, they had no idea where they were.

“This way,” Yara said, walking down a well-lit metal corridor as Pierson’s party gave reassuring glances to each other. A short few minutes later, they stood in a large room, fully furnished and equipped with a bathroom and several bedrooms. Pierson’s mood improved at the sight – it looked like whatever faction Yara belonged to was at least treating them with respect and dignity.

In the next moment, the door leading out closed shut as array lines covering the walls, floor, and ceiling flickered into existence. A sudden sense of weakness overcame Pierson’s party as a comprehensive debuff lowered their stats.

“Rose?” Pierson called out calmly, having expected as much.

Rose, as the only array expert in their party, walked up to the nearby wall and ran a hand across its surface. She inspected it for a minute before saying, “It’s a level 550 sealing array. Well made, though. Whoever constructed it knows what they’re doing.”

“Can you break it?” Pierson asked.

“Easily,” Rose answered with pride.

Pierson looked around the room with his eyebrows bunched together. Kneeling on one knee, he knocked against the metal floor with half his strength. He shook his head and commented, “Metal alloy. It’s tough, but…”

Fin noticed Pierson was thinking about something and inquired, “Captain?”

Pierson stood up and sighed, “It’s nothing.”

Although he said that, Pierson wondered why the array imprisoning them was so low-level. And the metal alloy, while sturdy, wasn’t unbreakable. As an experienced mercenary, he’d seen his fair share of prisons, and the vibe this one gave off left him uncertain. Were the lacking defensives simply for appearances, or was there some other reason?

At that moment, a voice coming from the array interrupted his train of thought. “Hello, I hope you find your dwelling accommodating. In the meantime, I have a few questions for you.”

Pierson recognized the voice as the one the masked woman had. He responded to the air, “I’m listening.”

“Which organization do you belong to?” Yara asked from the array’s control room, feeling uneasy and excited at the same time.

Pierson sat on a nearby chair and crossed his arms. “Radiant Glow, a mercenary team.”

Yara remained silent and performed some divination with the new information. After confirming that the man said the truth, she asked, “What is the state of affairs among the dimensions in the past few decades?”

Pierson’s eyes narrowed. It took him a moment to respond. “Are you joking?”

Yara knew that she couldn’t keep up the act any longer, but she desperately needed information, so she decided to tell a half-truth, “My people were trapped in a Celestial-grade Dungeon for several centuries and only recently regained freedom. I wonder if the war remains ongoing?”

Pierson’s finger tapped against his arm. Doubtful, he decided to play along and asked, “How long precisely?”

“Over five centuries,” Yara provided.

“Then you’re in for a shock,” Pierson sighed emotionally, “The Conceptual Dimension has fallen to the hands of Monster King Tyranus. Nowadays, the Elemental, Sin, and remnants of the Conceptual Dimension find themselves allied against Monster King Tyranus and his underlings.”

“What?” Yara’s face paled drastically from the revelation. She quickly asked for clarification, “What about the Trinity?”

“The three sects are gone, their leaders killed,” Pierson explained. “Lady Elaine’s disappearance paralyzed the Conceptual Dimension’s armies, granting the Sin Dimension a chance to cripple them for good. Who would have known, however, that at a critical moment, Monster King Tyranus would appear and kill the Sins of Lust, Envy, and Pride? Their deaths gave Monster King Tyranus a great boost in power, allowing him to finish off the Trinity and unite the Monster Lords from over fifty zones.”

“Ho- how could this be?” Yara was shocked into silence. Tears ran down her cheeks at the thought of her many friends. Who knew whether they lived still?

Yara’s outburst gave credit to her fabricated story, causing Pierson no small relief. He wasn’t yet born when Monster King Tyranus rose to power and all he knew were the stories. The quiet sobbing from the array left Pierson wondering as to Yara’s identity. He asked cautiously, “Ma’am, I’m guessing you were from the Conceptual Dimension? My condolences.”

The room fell silent as the array’s sound transmission was deactivated. Fin looked around in disbelief. “What the slimeball just happened?”

Rose looked at Pierson. “Less than ten Celestial-grade Dungeons have appeared in history. What do you think?”

Pierson grunted. “Considering the difficulty of a Dungeon at that grade, I’m inclined to believe her.”

Fin thought for a moment before whispering, “Hey, don’t you think the timing is too suspicious?”

Rose placed a hand on her hip. “What are you saying?”

Fin gave a knowing look. “Think about it. She said she was trapped for five centuries. Who else disappeared that long ago?”

Pierson’s party looked at each other as a name popped into their mind.

Rose scoffed. “You mean to say that woman was the legendary Lady Elaine, the one who could peak into the future and divine all sorts of information? A person close to level 1,000? Someone almost three thousand years old?”

“Uhh.” Fin’s confidence wavered when Rose put it like that.

As the two fell silent, Pierson’s eyes flickered. He already had an answer in his heart, and if the stories were true, a reckoning was coming. The question now was, how could he take advantage of the situation?