Chapter 424: Malachar’s Plan, Nox the God of Death
As the description stated, it was simply a piece of paper, which Leon summoned into his hand.
On the first page was only text, and it read the following, the words written in an elegant hand:
[Everything seems to be going well, he has told me that I have been doing a good job with everything until now, and that the moment I comprehend enough about the undead to reach S-Level, I will finally be able to join him in the Eternal Domain.]
[He also told me that I will be of great purpose for his plans to become the strongest, and that in return, he shall make me one of his most important people as well.]
[I am extremely excited, and I am sure that me and him, as well as the other servants, will be able to start our conquest of this world soon.]
[Hopefully I can ascend to the Eternal Domain soon, and meet with you, Lord Nox.]
"...Hm," Leon grunted, processing the information carefully.
It was quite obvious that Malachar was aligned to one of the gods, though which one was completely unknown to Leon based on the text alone, leaving him with more questions than answers.
Or at least, it was until he turned the paper around, and a terrifying drawing that sent chills down on Leon’s spine appeared, making his blood run cold and his instincts scream.
It was just a drawing of a black background with a twisted skull with glowing crimson eyes, and yet, Leon felt like whatever was hiding behind the dark was far more terrifying than just this skull, an ancient malevolence that seemed to stare back at him from the page.
Beneath the drawing, the following sentence: [Supreme God of Death, Nox].
"The God of Death," Leon’s expression darkened, his jaw tightening, "Another one to add to the list of gods I need to take care of, I guess."
For some reason though, Leon even had the feeling that this Nox was even more terrifying than even the God of Eternity himself, a primal dread that he couldn’t shake no matter how hard he tried.
Though perhaps that was just because of the drawing’s haunting quality, who knows, it could just be his imagination playing tricks on him.
Leon teared the paper apart, remembering what it said, then threw it into the chamber, watching the pieces scatter across the floor like fallen leaves.
"Lets go," he said to the girls with a smile, masking his concern, "There’s still more we need to do before the day is over."
Just like that, the four of them passed through the portal, appearing right outside the catacombs, the sunlight hitting their faces and warming their skin after the darkness of the dungeon.
And as soon as they left, the stairs in the graveyard which led to the dungeon crumbled on themselves, collapsing into rubble and debris.
"I guess killing Malachar really did remove the dungeon," Leon sighed, "Oh well, I got what I wanted anyway, so I can’t complain."
He simply needed to find a Stronghold Crystal within the next 29 days, and he’d be just fine, fulfilling the quest and buying himself more time to prepare for what was coming.
Though of course, Leon knew that the Requiem guild wouldn’t just obediently let him go the moment this was done, they would have other plans for him.
He knew their kind very well, they would use any opportunity to take advantage of others, and he had to be prepared for their inevitable betrayal.
So before that moment arrived, he simply needed to grow stronger, faster than they expected, so he could face whatever they threw at him.
Once that was all done, Leon and the girls returned to the Requiem Stronghold using the [World Map], appearing at the exit tunnel in a flash of light that drew a few glances from the guards.
Leon wanted to wait for the [Hunter] to appear as that was the next big thing on his agenda, so he had free time to fill while he waited and prepared.
And even though he didn’t feel that safe in the requiem stronghold, surrounded by potential enemies who were watching his every move, he and the group still managed to enjoy the rest of the day, exploring the city and relaxing together.
Until night came, and as expected, the familiar announcement echoed through the stronghold, filling the streets with anticipation.
Ding!
[End of Day 4,594.]
[Current Progress: 94/100 Stronghold Crystals.]
A mass of cheers, even more powerful than yesterday, erupted around them, the citizens celebrating their progress with unrestrained joy.
"Two crystals in two days?!"
"Lord Cavin and the Requiem Guild members are working hard for us!"
"I’m so excited, at this rate our stronghold may reach Level 6 by the end of the year!"
Everyone cheered, their voices filled with hope and excitement, but only Leon and the girls seemed neutral about all of this, which actually did in fact bring them a few stares from those nearby who noticed their lack of enthusiasm.
"You’re not happy?" a buff demon roared as he pointed at Leon, his voice accusatory, "You don’t know what the Requiem guild is doing, aren’t you?"
"Just leave them, they’re new here I think..." the girl with the demon tried to calm him down, though she also gave them a disgusted look, clearly disapproving of their indifference.
’Seems more like a sect than a stronghold to me,’ Leon thought deeply, ’Oh well, not my problem for now, I have bigger things to worry about.’
He and the girls got up from their spot to avoid any altercations, not because Leon was afraid of fighting, but because he knew that Cavin and his guild members were watching, observing everything that happened within the stronghold’s walls.
Within the stronghold, they had an absolute view of everything that happened inside, nothing escaped their notice or their spies.
"We should’ve kicked their ass," Violet groaned, her fists clenching with frustration, "We’re strong enough to wipe them all out if we wanted to."
"True," Leon nodded, "But... there’s no need to waste our energy on this."
And so the group went back to the requiem hotel and slept there, enjoying the comfort of their rooms after a long day.
...
A/N: Its finally time for Leon and the group to get much stronger, thank you for supporting the novel until now! :D