Chapter 519 – Tunnel Rats

The massive manufacturing hall was a tad loud, so Asterios moved himself to one of the empty rooms nearby that he could sense. A simple storage for ingots and other metal byproducts welcomed him. It was somewhat small, but he didn’t need much space to accommodate just one more person.

And soon enough, the person in question appeared next to him, stepping through a crimson gate. Noir threw a quick look at their surroundings, wrinkled her nose at the copious amount of dust and grease, and set her fists against her hips.

“I’m starting to think you are deliberately leading me to places that hit a True Dragon’s sense of smell the hardest.” The feisty girl grumbled. “From a Lesser Dragon breeding pit, through putrid sewers, to even a sooty dwarven warehouse that smells like thrice overburnt oil.”

Her comment made the corner of Ast’s mouth lift up a little. His newest companion never truly held back her honesty.

“You know, if I ever ask you for something you can’t handle, you can just let me know, and the others will be more than happy to accommodate,” Asterios replied while watching the shorter girl keenly.

He didn’t miss the way her lithe body tensed.

“I’m not some fragile maiden!” Noir let out a quiet growl. “You know as well as I do that I’m the best person for this job! And even if I wasn’t, I would never quit!”

“I know. But you don’t need to do everything alone. Not anymore.” Asterios placed a hand on her shoulder. “I’m not picking these places intentionally, if you are wondering. There are still draconic things that aren’t as obvious to me as they are to you.”

She crossed her arms and huffed to the side, but didn’t make any motions to shrug off his palm.

“Now, I would hate to keep you here like some sort of a wicked punishment for your sensitive nose, so tell me, how are matters on your side?” he asked.

The black-haired Dragon girl straightened up, turning to face him directly. “The rebels are pacified, more or less. They shouldn’t act out on their own any longer. However, that’s not an infallible guarantee. That’s why… I would need your help to fully consolidate our dominion over them.”

“In what form?” Asterios raised a brow at her.

“I’ve gathered all the leaders in one place. They currently believe that I’m a servant of a high-ranking Rubytongs clan member who is fed up with being sidelined by the household. It wasn’t hard to convince them to believe in this story. I just had to leak some evidence that pointed to the foul play of the ruling party, which is colluding with the enemy,” Noir began explaining her scheme.

“Did you have anything they would believe in?” he questioned.

“I made use of the information you and your entourage gathered. But, the strongest point was revealing that I’m an experimental Elf-Dragon hybrid, flashing a little bit of my scales and aura.” The cunning lady grinned as she waved her fingers. “Nevertheless, that’s not enough to ensure unquestionable obedience. And after the recent failures, I’m not going to risk even a sliver of a chance that things will go wrong. I’ll never make that mistake again.”

Asterios could feel rage and determination through their connection as Noir squeezed her fist tightly. She was still blaming herself for the challenge. And he had to control himself not to reassure her again that it wasn’t her fault. She would only perceive it as more pity and lash out.

“I’ll reveal my cards to them,” she continued as he remained silent. “Bring you in as my master, the one behind everything. They will be confused and distrustful, but that’s when their minds are the easiest to manipulate. By bringing up your draconic nature, we can alter the story into one where the Rubytongs hold your relative captive and your only goal is to rescue them without attracting too much attention.”

He stroked his chin while considering the plan that had been prepared for him.

“I understand that you wish to keep a low profile, so I will abandon this idea if it goes too far,” Noir added, slightly lowering her head.

The recent events had really affected her. She was putting his safety first, no matter what.

“I trust you,” Asterios said, causing Noir to peek up at him, and he gave her hair a quick ruffle. “We’ve already brought one household in on the secret, so if rumors spread, it would be because of my decision. Let’s get this show on the road.”

“I’ll transfer us right away, then.” She perked up a tiny bit and called forth her shadows.

“Hold on.” He raised a hand. “They operate through the sewers, right?”

“Majorly, yes.” Noir nodded. “Why?”

“I assume you’ve familiarized yourself with the layout. Would you mind showing me around? Since we aren’t in a hurry, I think it would be beneficial to see it myself,” Asterios shared his thoughts.

The Dragon girl inclined her head. “That would be smart. If the leader is familiar with the field of operation, he can issue more accurate orders to his subordinates.”

He smiled softly, feeling like he might have scored a few points with his cunning partner.

Noir then instructed him to coat himself in the reflective darkness, and they moved out of the Hammertingle residence. They appeared in a shadowy alleyway with a manhole next to them. Their vicinity was fairly off the path, but numerous presences could still be sensed making their way around.

“Can we open it without drawing attention?” Asterios queried.

Noir smirked at him and spread her arms to the sides. The black shimmer hugging her figure burst outwards in a spherical shape. It stopped after encompassing them both and the entrance to the sewers.

“I can hold it out like this for hours as long as I keep my arms and mana flow steady,” she boasted.

“I’ll handle the lock, then.” Asterios chuckled.

Inserting his clawed finger into an intended gap, he hoisted the metal panel, holding it above his head. Making some space, he readied up, watching his partner walk towards the hole. The moment she jumped in and hastily folded her arms, he dove after her, setting the manhole in its place as gently as possible during the fall.

As they landed in a round tunnel split through the middle by a river of waste, Asterios realized that, sure, they could have transferred right here from the start, but Noir had made an intentional detour to flex a little. She definitely enjoyed showing off to him. It was a bit funny how it must have partially come from her manipulative nature to curry his favor, but he could tell that she was getting more genuine about it.

The walk that ensued proceeded in relative silence, broken only by summaries of where the intersections that they were passing led.

“How was Miria?” Asterios tried striking up a conversation.

Noir hesitated briefly with her next step before setting her foot in the front. “She has… impressive instincts… but is…”

“Simple-minded?” he offered.

“I tried searching for a less derogatory expression...” She bit her lip. “The speed at which she picks things up is unbelievable, portraying her as some kind of a genius, but then… she does something utterly thoughtless that invalidates everything. Like, she can copy our shadow obstruction in a single try and match my pace without an issue, but lets out a sudden gasp near a group of people because she recognizes one of them. It’s just… baffling.”

“Sounds like Miria, alright.” Asterios let out a laugh. “And don’t worry, it’s not an insult. She’s a special type of genius. One comes from decades of wisdom and experience, the other from pure intelligence. Because she’s led a simple life for a long time, she doesn’t realize just how brilliant she is.”

Noir glanced at him curiously.

“Unfortunately, that’s also a huge problem and a sore spot for her.” He sighed deeply. “She constantly perceives herself as dumber and weaker than everyone else, even though she’s literally been the prodigy of her village, if not subrace. Those thoughts sometimes lead her to dangerous, self-destructive behavior. I mean, she literally shredded her spiritual foundation into pure nothingness, then reconstructed it from the ground up while being sustained by combined energies of an Arch Dryad, a True Dragon, and a mentorly Lesser Dragon, just so that she doesn’t feel useless to us due to her main strength being strength.”

The savage True Dragon female shivered.

“She did what?” Noir’s eyes widened.

“Right?” Asterios shook his head. “That’s why she can effortlessly do almost everything that I can now. Save maybe for very specific draconic things. The two of us are connected on a different level. Thanks to Tia, who gifted that always hard-working girl with this ancient technique.”

“I think I know of it.” The Dragon girl paused. “But, wait. I didn’t sense the signature shimmer of the failsafe. Don’t tell me, you…”

“I’m not going to blow up the woman I love.” He set his jaw firmly while looking ahead.

“But, she wields nearly all of your power…” Noir continued to stare. “That… goes beyond trust…”

The last bit she added was no more than a whisper. A glance her way showed the clever Onyx descendant in deep thought, perhaps reevaluating how she perceived the mystery that was the cheerful panthergirl. Or something else entirely.

Ten minutes later, they reached an intersection. The paths converged into a single round chamber, which had been remade to work as a secret meeting spot. Metal grates had been added over the flowing water, with a circular table set up in the very middle. Seven cloaked figures sat around it, awaiting something nervously, their fingers tapping the wooden surface, their feet bouncing on the stone floor.

At first glance, it was easy to tell that these were the resistance’s leaders. And it was clear as a day that this group wasn’t wholeheartedly united. It was a near-impossible feat to achieve with such a wide range of status. There was someone from an artisan-focused background, another looking like a typical noble, and even a shifty-looking merchant. Men and women gathered under one banner for the same goal, but most likely with their own motives and aspirations.

That was why all insurrections were incredibly dangerous.

One more person was present in the chamber, much taller than everyone else, standing by the table and watching the gathering like a hawk. It was Miria, hiding herself from sight with his shadows, just like he and Noir did. The bubbly panthergirl spotted them, her face brightening with joy as her mouth began to open. Then, her hands smacked over her lips in panic.

~I almost did it again!~ Miria’s guilty chuckle echoed in their heads, her eyes sneaking glances at Noir. ~Everyone is here, and they’ve been playing nice! Except for one man who tried to leave, but when I growled at him, he thought Noir caught him!~

Asterios smiled fondly. As for Noir, she didn’t look annoyed. Rather, kind of understanding.

Then, she dropped her stealth, making all the dwarves jump.

“Finally!” A woman rose in her seat, slamming her palms on the table. “Care to explain what this sudden call is for?”

“Yeah!” Her neighbor used his fist too. “We can’t be wasting time here! The final sign-ups are almost upon us! We need to be preparing!”

“You better explain yourself properly, slave.” Another guy, the most pompous-looking one, sneered.

Surprisingly, Noir didn’t even twitch at the detestable insult.

“Those preparations are the cause for this council,” she responded calmly but with an edge. “My master has been observing all of you throughout our lasting cooperation… and found your methods lacking.”

“How dare he?!” The first woman blistered. “Are you going to back out?! Right before the main event?!”

“No, we are not withdrawing our involvement. This is too important for us to abandon. Too important for us to go up in flames when something goes wrong again.” Noir glared at each of them. “We are not leaving you to your own devices. On the contrary, we are stepping forward and taking control.”

“I knew it! This is what you’ve been after from the start!” another added.

“Who do you think you are?!” someone shouted.

“Like hell we will—”

The last person’s words cut off as the meeting chamber suddenly filled with a chilling aura. Everyone’s gaze snapped towards the source. Darkness heavier than the deepest shadows of the sewers began pooling between them and the exit. They smoked and swayed as they rose, forming a humanoid figure.

Asterios took a page out of Umbra’s book and made himself a form out of a bit more unkempt and swirling shadows, bearing resemblance to his draconic Battle Form. The details and contours were vague and nearly seamless, save for the noticeable hooded cloak and fierce snout poking out of it. Two slanted spots of glowing crimson depicted his eyes, the only non-black bits in his entire appearance.

“Who are we? You stand before the rightful True Dragon Lord of All-Encompassing Darkness, direct inheritor of the Onyx blood!” Noir grabbed the edge of the table and flung it into a far wall. “Kneel, insects!”

An overwhelming pressure descended upon the dwarves, and everyone fell off their chairs, landing on all fours. Long seconds passed under the crushing assault before the gasping and wheezing folk managed to pull themselves to their knees. Only then did the oppressive force lessen. Noir took a knee too with a respectful poise.

“You needn’t worry. Your goal will be achieved, the Rubytongs line ended, reduced to ashes,” Asterios spoke with a deep, ominous tone that made the leaders tremble. “I care not for your petty squabbles and power struggles. But those who dare to harm my kin… will be erased from this world.”

“Y-Your kin, s-sir?” a man asked with great difficulty.

Noir rose. “The inventions your treacherous brethren developed to dominate your race come at the cost of Master’s young relative, whom they have audaciously captured. I’ve been sent here to gather intelligence and lay down the groundwork for Master’s vengeance. You were just tools in my hands. Tools that grew blunt and started missing the target. Tools that are now aware of the truth.”

She had a wicked grin on her face as the dwarves took a peek at her. Nearly all of them realized the implication immediately, growing even paler.

“W-What will happen to us now?” the same man spoke up again.

Asterios made a show of giving it a thought as his smoking eyes bore into them. “You still have your uses. I won’t discard you just yet. But, I’m not going to risk the well-being of my kin with another dumb, rampant attempt that bears zero foresight behind it anymore.”

“That was an accident!” another person shouted, earning himself the murderous focus of a certain Dragon girl. “We lost good people in it!”

“How were we supposed to predict that the warehouse would explode!” the noble woman protested. “The plan was to steal the raw materials so that we could bolster our own representatives for the Clash!”

“What about the forty-seven explosive clusters planted all throughout the sewers?” a new voice joined in, making her flinch.

Asterios found Abyss nonchalantly hovering next to him. Even Noir seemed surprised.

“Forty… What?” the dwarf female blinked in consternation.

The Umbral Goddess turned to him. “Grea insisted on keeping an eye out since the moment you sent the trio here. She’s been closely following your signature with her ability. Focusing on the tunnels, we spotted numerous dots other than the ones gathered here, which shared a spiritual wavelength with the Fe-Lines of the Rubytongs clan. I went to investigate and found boxes of potent, unstable alchemical mixtures that alone are harmless, but mixed together would cause a violent reaction.”

“Show me,” Asterios said.

The space around him twisted, and before he could blink, the two of them were in a rather claustrophobic cavern. He wasn’t bothered by the lack of light and immediately spotted what his almighty friend had mentioned. Crates of glass vials had been stacked everywhere, filling the man-made hole to the brim. They were padded with something soft and spongy, preventing the contents from coming in contact, even if one shook the casing.

As he examined the obvious liquid bombs, something caught his attention. Carefully digging through the boxes, he crouched to pick a fist-sized object made of shiny, golden metal. It resembled a… porcupine. A small, mechanical imitation, with visible gears, cogs, and structural pieces. Two red gems represented its eyes, and the spikes were all made of durable, mana-infused alloy, standing straight in every direction of the creature’s half-spherical back. The tail was a little weird, extending out, then bent unnaturally upwards, rising much further than it should, splitting into a four-way fork.

“This little one emits the familiar signature,” Abyss pointed out.

“Like the four-legged Golems?” Asterios squinted at it.

“Exactly.” She nodded. “But, it doesn’t move. None of them do. They just sit there amongst the packages.”

“Why?” he wondered out loud.

“They seem to be inactive, partially disabled.” Abyss tilted her head. “They don’t look like a security system. I’ve surrounded us with spatial displacement just in case, but even so, these artificial rodents didn’t send out any spiritual signals that would inform the masterminds of the cache’s discovery.”

“So, they aren’t remote alarm beacons…” Asterios hummed to himself and peered deeper into the machine.

A click echoed through the silent cavern, making his pupils shrink into pinpricks. On pure instinct, he tilted his wrist towards himself. Less than a second later, a sound of numerous springs being released followed, and he grunted in pain.

Asterios dismissed the shadowy visage surrounding his body and looked down. Dozens of sharp needles poked halfway out of his chest, the porcupine now completely stripped of its defenses.

“What did you do?” Abyss inquired as she removed the spikes from his flesh all at once.

“I sent a wave of mana into it to flash my senses through—” He froze, spotting one needle that had slipped under his armpit, currently embedded in the wall inches away from a flask’s neck. “You said they were all over the tunnels?”

The reality warped around him again, and they showed up in the war room set up back in Glimmervale. Grea was hunched over the artifact map, putting her all into the surveillance ability she had displayed to them before. Bryn stood next to her, making sure she didn’t overexert herself. The magical parchment showed the winding underground tunnels, riddled with red dots spread throughout them, and a bunch of yellow dots where the meeting was taking place.

“Can you remove the dwarves and overlay the other markers on the surface?” Asterios requested.

The image shifted a moment later. Now, the red dots were spread throughout the city.

Cold sweat poured down Ast’s spine.

“Bryn, you’ve seen the full picture from the sky.” He slowly turned his face to the Valkyrie. “What would happen… if those spots exploded with the force of the last incident all at once?”

She scanned the map with her golden eyes. “If that were to happen, Master… The entire shelf would come crashing down the mountain’s side…”

He shuddered at the very thought of that.

“Survival chances?” Asterios asked hesitantly.

“Close to zero,” Abyss answered with her eerily indifferent tone. “Save for one place.”

She pointed at the only unmapped part of Wintercrown’s plan, the massive fortress through which the mountain dwarves came out into the world.

And which was currently under the rule of one specific clan.

The implications couldn’t be clearer.