Chapter 121: The Bait

Just as Lox had predicted, the outpost was swarming with eyes and ears of the Valkyrie Principality. Naturally, news of Jan’s return did not escape their notice, and it quickly reached the commander of the Valkyrie forces stationed in the rear.

"That monster is back?!"

Pander sighed helplessly as he stared at the intelligence report. Although the entire upper echelon of the Valkyrie Principality loathed Jan with a burning passion—insisting that he be brought to justice, or even killed, dead or alive—the soldiers on the front lines were far from eager to provoke such a lethal threat. It was not without reason; Jan’s previous slaughter had been so horrific that it left them traumatized. An entire company of the Royal Guard had been reduced to fewer than ten survivors, and even a powerhouse of Gustav’s caliber had been flattened into a pile of minced meat. The noble lords back in the Principality could shout all they wanted, but they didn’t seem to consider that if the strongest man in the Valkyrie Principality had been finished off, what chance did they—who weren't even legendary rank—have? Sending them after him was just offering themselves up as a snack.

Because of this, the soldiers responsible for guarding the portal were terrified of crossing paths with that butcher. Jan had killed so many people, and with paladins and mercenaries present at the time, not to mention the Valkyrie troops tasked with cleaning up the bodies later, everyone knew just how gruesome the scene had been. They had collected over two hundred corpses, yet not a single one was intact. Every body was missing limbs, and the clean, precise cuts showed they hadn't been bludgeoned, but sliced apart.

That detail alone was enough to make the soldiers shudder. A body left in pieces was the most terrifying form of punishment. They couldn't even imagine the agony their comrades had endured before dying.

Moreover, the conflict between the Valkyrie Principality and Jan was purely a personal vendetta; Jan had neither invaded their country nor killed their families. Any previous friction had been provoked by the nobles themselves. Under these circumstances, no soldier wanted to die for the sake of the nobles' hollow pride. Those guards who had survived the initial slaughter had been driven to the brink of madness, and they certainly had no desire to provoke Jan again.

Pander had hoped that the stalemate would continue. If the Temple simply left, he could just go through the motions. Perhaps, he mused, that young man had already died in the Underdark?

Unfortunately, his prayers went unanswered. Jan had walked right out of the depths of the Underdark and arrived here. The nobles would undoubtedly react, and in the end, wouldn't he be the one to suffer?

Despite his inner grumblings and complaints, the job had to be done.

Resigned, Pander steeled himself and led several hundred elite soldiers toward the Temple outpost. Though the soldiers were incredibly reluctant, they had to obey orders from above, even if it meant certain death. Pander had already made up his mind: while he would perform his duty as a soldier, if the Temple reacted aggressively and the young man began to slaughter again, he would immediately order a retreat. If the nobles asked, he would simply claim it wasn't for lack of effort, but because the enemy was too powerful—as for the rest, let the nobles deal with the headache.

The portal was not far from the outpost. The group arrived without much difficulty. However, Pander hesitated at the entrance, unsure of how to proceed. Rushing in blindly would be unwise. If the Holy Church decided to intervene, that man would escape in an instant, and the higher-ups would only blame him for his incompetence rather than the enemy's strength. However...

"My Lord!"

At that moment, a young man dressed like a mercenary slipped silently out of the nearby shadows. Pander perked up at his appearance. This was the scout Pander had planted in the outpost to monitor Jan. It seemed the man had a report.

"What's the situation? Where is that man?"

"Just moments ago, he left with a group of paladins and Lord Lox!"

"Damn it!"

Pander cursed under his breath. If Jan was with Lox, there was nothing they could do. They couldn't exactly charge at Lox—that would be tantamount to declaring war on the Temple. He hadn't expected the man to be so cunning. Now, there was no telling where they had gone. If they were to rashly enter the Underdark...

Pander lowered his head, frowning in thought for a moment before asking, "Any other news?"

"Other news... ah, yes! We spotted one of the women who follows him! The mage!"

"A female mage?"

A glimmer of sharpness flashed in Pander’s eyes. He remembered clearly that the intelligence on Jan mentioned two female attendants: a mid-tier mage and a little girl. Now that he heard the mage was still here, Pander grew alert. He couldn't handle a legendary-rank powerhouse, but a mid-tier mage was a different story. If he could defeat and capture her, the noble lords would surely be overjoyed. A female mage, and a beautiful one at that... Pander realized this was a golden opportunity.

"Where is she?!"

"She's by the tunnels outside."

"Oh?"

Pander paused. He had assumed the mage would be at Jan’s side or inside the outpost. To think she was alone by the tunnels—this was a once-in-a-lifetime chance! His subordinate had already reported that Jan and Lox had left with the paladins and likely wouldn't return for some time. With only this female mage left and the outpost’s defenses thin—and the mercenaries unlikely to stand against the nobility—this was the perfect moment!

With that thought, Pander’s spirits soared.

"Let's move! Go capture that mage!"

Led by Pander, the hundreds of soldiers rushed into the outpost without hesitation. To their surprise, the entire place was deserted. Not only the paladins, but most of the mercenaries had vanished as well, leaving only a few guards behind. The guards were startled by the sudden influx of soldiers and rushed forward to inquire, but Pander, in no mood for pleasantries, shoved them aside and began searching for the mage. He quickly spotted her—not because of his own keen senses, but because a young girl dressed in a lace cloak and looking like a sheltered noblewoman was an incredibly rare sight in the Underdark. In the blink of an eye, Pander saw Iris walking toward the far side of the passage.

"Move!"

Without a second's hesitation, Pander gave the order. The soldiers obeyed, and several archers stepped forward, aiming their crossbows at the beautiful figure in the distance before firing.

With a shrill whistle, the bolts flew toward Iris. The girl was clearly startled, but as a high-tier mage, she had constant protection. A bright red ring of light flashed around her, and the next moment, the bolts were deflected by an invisible barrier.

"Charge! Capture her!"

Pander had anticipated this. The reason he had ordered a surprise attack was precisely to prevent her from chanting any spells. To him, a mid-tier mage was far easier to handle than a legendary warrior; once a mage ran out of spells, they were no different from a commoner.

Seeing the soldiers rushing toward her, Iris wore a panicked expression. She flickered and darted into the depths of the tunnel.

"After her! Don't let her escape!"

Pander commanded, and his soldiers surged forward like tigers descending from a mountain.

On the surface, Pander could have surrounded her from all sides. But here, in the narrow, claustrophobic tunnels of the underground, they had no way to seal off every exit—especially since they had no idea where these passages led. Forced to attack head-on, Pander figured that a girl could not possibly outrun trained soldiers. As long as they denied her the chance to cast spells, she posed little threat.

His plan was sound, but Iris was no ordinary human girl. Her dhampir constitution gave her physical attributes far superior to any human—her speed and strength were unmatched.

Yet, facing the pursuit, Iris seemed genuinely flustered. She ran aimlessly through the tunnels, trying to shake off her pursuers. Pander clung to her heels, refusing to let her break away. Just as they were about to catch up, the girl suddenly turned and ducked into a side passage. Pander was ecstatic.

He urged his soldiers into the tunnel, continuing the chase.

The passage was dark and narrow, but after several pursuits, Pander had grown accustomed to the Underdark. He led his men forward, stumbling over the uneven ground. Soon, they heard the sound of hurried footsteps ahead—it had to be the girl.

"Everyone, charge!"

Hearing the footsteps, Pander grew even more excited. He raised his torch and, spearheading the group, burst into the area ahead. But the next moment, the triumphant expression on his face turned to one of shock.

Before him lay not another narrow tunnel, but a vast, open space—a plaza of sorts. The area was filled with low buildings carved from rock. Iris was nowhere to be seen; the girl had vanished into thin air.

This is...

Before Pander and his men could react, a roar echoed through the chamber. The next moment, an army of Duergar erupted from the ground itself, surrounding them.