Lord: Starting with Biological Modification

Ryo stood at the edge of the vast cavern, forgetting to breathe.

Before him lay an underground world that stretched beyond sight.

Countless glowing crystal clusters jutted from the ceiling and floor, bathing the entire space in a soft light.

The brightness reminded Ryo of twilight.

The waterway he had followed converged here into a subterranean river that rushed through the center of the cavern before disappearing into the distant darkness.

Along the riverbanks grew thickets of bizarrely shaped Extraordinary plants.

The air was thick with Ether.

Every breath sent a thrilling tremor through his flesh and blood.

’This is the source.’

’So, hidden beneath the Gray Sea Marsh is an even more concentrated Ether-rich zone!’

Ryo’s body trembled slightly with excitement.

He knew he had discovered a secret capable of changing the entire landscape of the Grey Marsh Territory, Sword Tooth Province, and even the entire Duchy. In the Duchy’s history, every newly discovered high-grade Ether-rich zone had given rise to a noble Marquis Clan!

But that thought was followed by a chill that crept up his spine.

’What kind of being could occupy a place like this?’

The Gray Swamp Giant Crocodiles from before were nothing compared to the potential "being" that resided here.

He didn’t dare go any deeper. Logic told him that for him to take another step forward, alone, would be suicide.

He forced himself to calm down and turned back the way he came, moving as fast as he could.

By the time he burst from the lake’s surface, soaking wet, only the last glimmer of sunset remained.

He didn’t bother to change out of his dripping clothes, instead sprinting toward the Lord’s Mansion at the edge of the valley.

After receiving Velin’s permission, Ryo entered the study.

"My lord..."

Velin, who was reviewing some documents, looked up. He was a little puzzled by Ryo’s disheveled appearance.

The young Mage struggled to calm his roiling emotions, his voice trembling slightly as he said, "The lake... beneath the lake... there’s something!"

Velin didn’t press him for details immediately. Instead, he pointed to the kettle on the desk.

"Have some water. Speak slowly."

Ryo took several deep breaths, forcing himself to settle down.

He began his report, starting from the slight deviation of the Ether compass, to his dive to investigate, and finally to the discovery of the underground cavern and the highly concentrated Ether zone.

He did his best to recall every detail, describing the cavern’s scale, the crystals’ brightness, and the flow of Ether Energy that was so dense it was almost tangible.

Velin listened in silence.

The only sound in the study was Ryo’s trembling narration.

When he uttered the last word, a long silence fell over the study.

In Velin’s mind, several clues were rapidly connecting.

’During the Month of Wailing, why did the Gray Swamp Giant Crocodiles abandon their long-held lairs and flee en masse...’

’Why wasn’t such a prime Ether-rich zone occupied by a higher-level Magical Beast...’

’Kael has scoured nearly the entire depths of the Gray Sea Marsh, yet he never found any trace of a Level 5 Magical Beast...’

Now, Ryo’s discovery pieced all these fragments together into a complete and logically sound conclusion!

"Kael couldn’t find it because it’s not on the surface at all."

Velin stood up and began pacing back and forth inside the study.

"The Gray Swamp Giant Crocodiles fled because they were terrified by a mere trace of its aura."

"A Level 5 Magical Beast... It occupies the source of the Ether, ruling this underground kingdom. The Magical Beasts on the surface are merely insignificant tenants on the fringes of its territory."

So the Level 5 Magical Beast Velin had been searching for and preparing to fight was right under his ass the whole time?!

Ryo felt a chill run down his spine as he listened.

"Then... my lord, what should we do? Should we seal the entrance?"

"Seal it?"

Velin stopped pacing, turned around, and a strange smile touched the corners of his mouth.

It wasn’t a smile of fear, but of the excitement an Alchemist feels upon discovering rare materials.

"No, Ryo. Why would we seal it? I didn’t run six months ago, so if I choose to flee now, what would have been the point of all my preparations over the last half-year?"

"Guards!" Velin shouted. "Summon Ola, Barrett, and Kael for a meeting. Also, tell Sarah to get ready. I need fifty of the strongest Soldier Ants."

「Half an hour later.」

All of Newly Town’s core members were gathered in Velin’s study.

The candlelight cast everyone’s shadows onto the walls, where they twisted and swayed.

Velin briefly explained the situation, then spread the simple map Ryo had drawn across the table.

Ola’s breathing grew heavy. As a Level 4 Knight, he knew better than anyone what a Level 5 Magical Beast signified.

It would take a standard hunting party of all Level 5 members, with perfect equipment, potions, and class composition, to even have a chance at challenging one.

But as it stood, the countable combat power in the Grey Marsh Territory consisted of himself, Barrett, Kael, and Sarah—four Level 4s—plus ten Level 3 professionals who were on the verge of advancing.

’In a direct confrontation, our group wouldn’t even be enough to pick its teeth.’

"By the war axe..." he muttered to himself. "Are we about to go poke a dragon’s ass?"

Barrett remained silent, his single eye repeatedly scanning the map.

As a veteran, his intuition warned him that this was a battle beyond his comprehension.

Kael was as cold and impassive as ever, showing no emotion.

"This is very dangerous," he stated succinctly.

"But it’s also worth it," Velin interjected. "Risk and reward are always proportional. I’ve been preparing for this day ever since Newly Town was founded. I’m not going to be scared off by a hole in the ground."

He looked around at the others, his gaze calm.

"I won’t force anyone. Those willing to go down there with me to investigate, stand to my right. For those who wish to back out, I will hold no grudges. There will still be a place for you in Newly Town."

The study was so quiet you could hear the crackle of the candle flames.

Ola was the first to move.

He let out a heavy breath and slammed his fist on the tabletop. The sturdy table let out a dull THUD.

"Fuck it!" the Half-Dwarf roared. "The one thing I hate most in this life is being a coward! Never mind a Level 5 Magical Beast—if you told us to fight a Five-Colored Dragon, my lord, then Ola Stonebeard’s axe would be the first to fall!"

He strode over to Velin’s right side and stood ramrod straight.

Barrett looked at Ola, then at Velin, and smiled.

"I’ve said it before: my lord gave me this life, so what’s the big deal about giving it back to him!" He then walked casually to stand beside Ola.

"Besides, the lives of my brothers are tied to Newly Town. I can’t just stand by and watch that thing tear our home apart. Count me in."

Kael said nothing.

He simply stood up, the scraping sound of his chair sliding backward echoing clearly in the room.

He walked to Barrett’s other side and came to a stop.

His actions were his answer.

Watching the three men before him, Ryo felt the blood rush to his head, and he too took a step forward.

"My lord! I’ll go too! My [Light Skill] can provide illumination, and I can also..."

"You’re staying here."

Velin stopped him.

"You have your own mission. If we startle it down there, our only escape route is that entrance. I need you to set up a [Slowing Array] and [Entangling Touch] by the lake. Whether they work or not, you are our last resort."

The light in Ryo’s eyes dimmed, but he still nodded firmly. "Yes, my lord!"

Velin looked at the three core commanders standing before him, a smile spreading across his face.

"Very good. Then, let’s get ready."

His gaze drifted past the study to the deep lake outside, as if he could see through the water to the slumbering underground kingdom below.

"Let’s go say hello to our new neighbor."