The Amber Sword

Chapter 204 – Lighthouse in the dark

Brendel passed through a warehouse, barracks, and heavily fortified War Room. The passageway had led to various defensive sections.

It was an underground fortress that was even more prepared than any of the Kirrlutz Empire’s castles. Even Dwarven or Elven cities could not compare to this final bulwark built against the Twilight Dragon.

Every inch of the walls was fortified with runes and magic crystals. Pillars in the shape of ancient creatures that were built from precious materials held the ceiling up, and the Crystal Circuits on the ground seemed like modern cables supplying electricity to the various areas.

The tiles over the ground in the various chambers, which was polished till it resembled marble, was remarkably free of dust.

When Brendel lit up the area with his magic, he could not help but tremble. This place was all too familiar in its architecture.

His fingers shook as he sat down on one of the chairs and lit the Light Crystal that was embedded on the round table in the War Room.

[There’s another secret behind Valhalla. Indeed, the Fire Seed allows the Dark Forest to be stabilized, but it’s not the reason why the guild controlling Valhalla in the game became powerful. Even though it’s extremely unlikely for Mephisto or Veronica to find out, I need to be on my guard.]

It was the biggest hope of saving Aouine and there was no way he would give up this secret.

Brendel continued to lead the way, but Mephisto suddenly pulled the youth back. A dark shadow emerged and Mephisto pulled out his greatsword and slashed at it. A tremendous sound echoed in the area, and Brendel saw that the flying shadow was actually a huge scythe blade with glowing Runes on it.

It was definitely imbued with powerful magic, and getting struck by it would be quite fatal even as one as powerful as Andesha in her dragon form.

[This trap seems like it’s from the civilization after the Twilight Dragon’s era, so it’s actually avoidable for me even if Mephisto didn’t pull me back. But this at least proves he’s on my side.]

Cold sweat broke out of Brendel’s forehead when he realized he was being careless. If this was a trap from the Golden Lineage, then it would not matter if Mephisto pulled him back.

Everyone would have died there.

Still, Mephisto’s action won the youth’s goodwill and the latter nodded at him in gratitude.

“Be careful,” Mephisto said monotonously in response.

“Understood.”

There were indeed more traps along the way. Even though Brendel did not have a Thief profession and did not have the system’s guide to spot one, he was experienced enough to test for them. These traps were created by people from the Silver Lineage and were of no challenge to him. As long as he knew what trap it was, he was able to figure out the range of the affected area.

Mephisto raised an eyebrow at Brendel, but he quickly assumed the youth was someone who had poured a great amount of effort into studying Magic Engineering subjects. Orthlyss who had observed Brendel for a long time was completely baffled at how the youth seemed to excel in every subject. The girls simply acted like it was completely normal for Brendel to be capable of everything.

The Sacred Hall that the group entered was not overly complex in design, neither was it excessively luxurious. The walls were carved from stone, while the ground was fitted with marble tiles and Magic Formations. The four pillars supporting the ceiling were large enough to have a dozen people hug it.

Thirty poles were planted in a circle around a gigantic beacon in the center of the hall. The closer the group walked towards the beacon, the stronger they felt the energy that was pulsing from it

[A ‘Lighthouse’.]

Brendel’s first thought that it was a structure that housed the Fire Seed.

Indeed, when he brought the Light Crystal up, he saw a gigantic crystal that was the size of twenty meters hovering over the beacon. Runes shimmered across it like water waves with the rhythm of a beating heart.

“The Fire Seed,” Brendel remarked amidst the stunned silence from the others.