Chapter 170: In Front of Namaran’s Wall (1)

A trading post. It was a place that bustled with merchants and facilitated the exchange of goods and currencies between cities. The same went for the trading post in Namaran. It was the most frequented place among the southern and eastern merchants in the kingdom. Although it had grown quieter over the months when the east was wiped out, it was still vibrant nonetheless. However, that wasn’t true today.

“…”

Silence. That was Javier’s first impression of the place when he arrived. There was too much silence for a place that should have been crowded and jam-packed with people. There were no people in sight, nor any carriages or carts that should have been rolling by at this hour. The laborers, who should be sweating as they carried the cargo, and the merchants, who should be haggling in high-pitched voices, were nowhere to be seen. Not a single person could be found in the front yard of the trading post and the unloading station.

It couldn’t be.

Javier was slightly furrowed, his forehead revealing only somewhat under the hood. Something was happening right now. The truth he had found out in the basement and the silent scene of the trading post overwhelmed Javier with nervousness.

Boom! Javier entered the trading post by kicking its door. Empty. No one was inside. The clerk who should be welcoming merchants when they arrive was also absent.

“…”

Wondering if they had noticed already, Javier raked through the place from the basement to the third floor. But he didn’t find a single soul. It reminded him of an abandoned ship that was in perfectly good condition.

How is this possible? Did they already realize that I found out about their basement?

No, Javier concluded, there was not enough time for that. He had come here as soon as he learned the truth. To do that, he had delayed making a report to Lloyd and Count Namaran.

Five minutes.

That was how long it took for him to arrive here from Cannavaro’s house. So, it was unrealistic for Cannavaro and the dark magicians to have realized their predicament and flee after cleaning out this place.

There was not enough time for that. Then why? How is this possible?

Javier debated whether to rush to Lloyd or conduct more searches around the premises. He anxiously walked some more with a lot on his mind. But the moment he grabbed the doorknob to leave…

Boom! A thundering noise blared across the land. But it didn’t come from the sky. It came from everywhere around him. Outside the trading post. From all directions. A banging noise, a din of something exploding, roared all around him. At the same time, his stomach churned.

“…!”

His stomach tightened in a flash. His heart started pounding against his will. His vision shook. His mind became foggy in a second. And mana simultaneously slipped out of his body into the air!

What the?

If he wasn’t a sword master capable of infinitely circulating mana and instinctively using the Asrahan Core Technique to harness the force of the abundant mana around him, he would have passed out right then and there.

“Argh…!”

Javier shifted his manaheart in a hurry and activated the Asrahan Core Technique. The three-stranded circles rotated to the hilt.

Ziiing! The circles roared as they stopped the sudden discharge of his mana, and it was only then that his stomach and heart calmed down. His vision returned, and his mind cleared.

What in the world is happening?

Javier was shocked perhaps because the air around him had changed so drastically. He wondered if this was the feeling of having the air around you suck the life out of your body. That was when it hit him.

My mana is trying to escape out of my body into the air at a menacing speed.

It was happening even now. So, he had to continue using the Asrahan Core Technique. Otherwise, if his mana circle stopped spinning, he would experience the same thing again.

What in the world just happened?

The blaring noise echoed across the land. The anomalous phenomenon that came after. Something was happening right now. He opened the door, feeling sinister every minute. Then he saw it.

“No…”

The city was enclosed by a giant wall, but it wasn’t physical. It was made of a purplish mana that had a color close to black. It swayed like a heat simmer, wrapping the whole city at a fierce speed. It was hundreds of feet tall, towering over the castle easily and bent on piercing the sky. When the sky above the city was covered with the color of its energy, the sun lost its shine. Its light was now perverted into something purple and beamed down everywhere. And the main road was littered with unconscious people. Every single person in his line of sight was on the ground.

“Hello?” Javier asked after running to one person on the ground. She was an old woman with rich white hair.

“Ah… Ha…”

She was unconscious, and her whole body was shivering. Eyes rolled back, her mouth was overflowing with foam.

“Shoot…”

She was losing mana, much like before he activated the Asrahan Core Technique. But unlike him, she had no means to defend herself. But she wasn’t alone. All of the people on the ground met the same fate as her and went through the same experience. Though Javier couldn’t pinpoint the cause, he could guess somewhat. It was the wall. This sinister mana wall that had surrounded the city. That indeed had something to do with what was happening. It was possible, Javier thought, that the wall was sucking people’s mana out, even the basic amount that was required for survival. Then what about Lloyd?

“Master Lloyd.”

Javier’s heart sank. He wouldn’t be able to push through. It was so even when he had the Asrahan Core Technique and was a mid-level sword expert. He wouldn’t last because he wasn’t a sword master and didn’t learn how to circulate the mana infinitely. He may last a few more minutes, but that would be it. Eventually, he would lose consciousness and be left incapable of using the Asrahan Core Technique as he’s mercilessly robbed of all his mana. And just like that, he would die.

“I apologize for failing to protect you… But I promise I will fix this situation. So, please hold on until then. Please,” Javier apologized as he put her down under a shade.

There was nothing more he could do other than give a heartfelt apology. The only way to save this old woman and all the unconscious people around him was to resolve the situation as soon as possible. Javier ran forward with that in mind. He crossed the main road in front of the trading post, sprinted across the plaza, and rushed toward the Count Namaran manor. He noticed people lying on the road and those convulsing in the plaza. He even caught the woman from the soup kitchen passed out on the floor. Each time, he bit his lips and ran faster. He sprinted and sprinted, even using up the last bit of mana he had left after activating the manaheart to prevent him from being sucked dry. At last, he arrived at the lodging for the visitors.

“Master Lloyd!”

Bam! He entered after kicking the door and searched for Lloyd. But he was nowhere to be found. Lloyd was not here. Javier sank to his knees.

Where is he?

Javier told himself that he had to hurry and locate Master Lloyd. That was the only way he could save Lloyd and everyone in the city.

Master Lloyd undoubtedly seemed to know something.

Upon more thinking, that was true from the beginning. Javier recalled how Lloyd was suspicious of Cannavaro from the moment Lady Namaran arrived at Frontera fiefdom. And how the latter suddenly inquired about Cannavaro on the first encounter. As such, Javier told himself that Master Lloyd knew something as well as the way to solve this situation. His wisdom. My power. We must work together and help each other out, Javier concluded. That was the only way to save everyone in the city. But… Lloyd was nowhere in sight.

“Master Lloyd!”

Javier tore the whole place down to look for him, his voice growing more hurried and alert.

“Ah, not here either?”

Stab! A metal shovel dug into the earth, and beads of sweat dripped down near the shovel head stuck deep into the ground. Lloyd’s lips pursed together as he took in the sight.

“It looks like I came down here for nothing.”

Lloyd lifted his head as he grumbled and looked up at the upper part of the cliff slope. About 30 feet above stood Namaran. Lloyd was way farther down from the sloped cliff of the city, and he was here for a simple reason. To get his hands on more jewels.

Previously, I only searched around the wall.

He had obtained about 200 pieces of jewels that way. Though he was pleased, he wanted some more. He wanted to acquire more jewels as this was a rare opportunity. That was when it hit him that he hadn’t traveled to the lower part of the slope yet.

I had no reason to hesitate.

There was not much to lose by trying. He just needed to break some sweat and do a little more work. From that, he could get lucky and obtain more expensive jewels. So, he immediately took the shovel and sack with him and worked his butt off, exploring the lower part of the slope. But his efforts turned out to be in vain.

“Tsk,” said Lloyd, “I thought I saw a skull.”

Was it around two or three times? He did find some skulls buried underground with his Subterranean Scanning. However, he joyfully dug the earth only to find out they were ordinary skulls. There was no mana or jewel in them.

I think these are actually the bones of those who were executed during ancient times.

“Tsk,” clucked Lloyd again.

Was I too greedy?

He had come to test his luck, to see whether he still had a shot at coming across treasures. But it looked like he was out of luck this time.

Ugh. I’m done. I’m done! I should rest today.

He had sweated enough. Thinking so, Lloyd took the metal shovel and empty sack.

“Ggoming?” Lloyd asked as he looked inside his inner pocket. “Are you asleep?”

“Ggoming…?”

“Tsk. Never mind. Go back to sleep.”

Lloyd laughed when he saw Ggoming lifting his head with half-closed eyes after dozing off in his pocket. Lloyd had thought for a split second of riding Ggoming back to the city. But come to think of it again, he realized that it would be wasteful to use a red sunflower seed that way.

I’ll just walk to get some exercise.

After packing up, Lloyd started to walk around the road that circled the cliff slope. For the first time in a while, the late-summer breeze felt fresh.

“The weather is nice.”

And the searing heat was no longer painful as a cloud covered the sun just in time. He started to hum before he knew it. But just then, the cloud darkened without any warning. It changed from a fluffy white cloud to a dark thundercloud. At the same time, he noticed a strange vibration of mana coming from the city.

“Huh?”

What is it? What’s happening? Lloyd was puzzled. He alternately looked at the sky and the city. Just then, a nearly black mana wall with a purple hue started to get erected.

Bzzt!

“…!”

The wall rocked as it went up like a fog. Then it surged upward at great speed, covering the sun, tearing the cloud, and engulfing the city. Lloyd’s eyes widened.

What the? No way. Is that Namaran’s Wall?

Lloyd wanted to violently rub his eyes. He couldn’t believe the sight he was seeing.

It seems like that is the Namaran’s Wall. I mean, it’s the same as the illustration I’d seen in the novel. But how is this possible? How?

Lloyd couldn’t understand. Surely, he had gotten rid of the skulls and jewels and destroyed the magic circles that enabled the wall. But to his dismay, as though his efforts were all for nothing, the Namaran’s Wall was rising up, enclosing the city. And with its dreary, evil, and nauseating energy, it started to usurp all the mana and life that was inside the city wall. It was after he made this realization…

“Dammit. Ggoming!”

Lloyd hurriedly woke Ggoming up.

“I’m sorry. I’ll explain later. Eat this first.”

“G-ggoming!”

Ggoming seemed to have felt the ominous energy as he was dozing off. He was already wide awake even before Lloyd woke him up. He immediately ate the sunflower seed and grew gigantic. Wham!

“Let’s go! Above!”

“Ggoming!”

Lloyd hopped on Ggoming, who started to fly up. And they arrived at the city after passing the cliff slopes in mere seconds. But entering the city was impossible.

It’s really Namaran’s Wall.

Lloyd bit his lips hard. From the sky, he was able to perceive the overall outline of the wall. The blackish-purple mana wall. That opaque wall had completely surrounded the city. There was not a single gap in it. Not even a bird or fly could pass through.

I can’t break this.

He wasn’t powerful enough. It wouldn’t be enough, even if he used the triple mana blast. This cursed wall couldn’t be broken even with a sword master’s aura. Lloyd wondered if what he was feeling at the moment was what Javier felt in the novel.

Seriously, how did this happen?

Lloyd had put his nose to the grindstone to prevent this situation from happening. But now the wall was up. Lloyd nibbled his lips as he stood before it. I must do something, but what? He asked himself. He must find a way, a way to shatter the wall instead of glancing at the wall so helplessly.

Should I use my RP? Do I need to become a sword master by leveling up my manaheart? No, I don’t have enough RP for that. There’s a much higher chance that I’ll only become a high-level sword expert. Then, should I Ievel up the Asrahan Core Technique? What if I increase the number of circles and use a quadra mana blast instead of the triple? Will that do it?

But Lloyd shook his head.

No. A quadra mana blast won’t be enough. The number of blasts doesn’t matter here. What matters is combining the mana blast with an aura.

He needed to combine his mana blast with an aura, which held the strength to slice through almost anything. But he couldn’t do it. He wasn’t a sword master.

Then what am I supposed to do…

Lloyd felt stuck. And just then, he spotted something on the ground.

“A person?”

Lloyd noticed people scattered all around the wall. There were about 90 people, and it looked like they were in groups of three. Their clothes strangely looked familiar to his eyes. Dark robe. Dark hood. They were exactly the same as the illustration in The Knight of Blood and Iron.

“They’re the dark magicians!”

A grin appeared on Lloyd’s face. He was happy. Just in time! He shouted internally. He had been racking his brain on how to break through that wall. And here they were. The creators of that wall. For now, it would do to beat them to a pulp. That would enlighten Lloyd on how to discard the wall.

You can take back the wall that’s nothing but a nuisance!

Swish! Gripping his shovel hard, Lloyd ordered Ggoming to take a nosedive toward the nearest dark magician.