NOVEL NEXT Chapter 106: Master is Back!
"Captain Richard!" A voice called out loud at the top of his lungs.
Richard and the others had just alighted from the elevator, ready to start searching for their Lord, when this call caught their attention.
They ran into the open hall, the entry point of the building. There, a young officer clad in full gear was calling for Richard at the top of his lungs.
Seeing the very person he was searching for, his eyes lit up.
"Captain, just now… I saw our Lord." The guard announced, heaving heavily, short of breath — probably due to the fact that he had run to inform them after sighting their master.
Richard's fist clenched tight, excitement coursing through his veins, as he hurriedly threw a barrage of questions.
"Where did you meet him? What did he say? What was he doing? Where was he going?"
"Uh…" The guard's expression shifted to uncertainty, disoriented by the multitude of questions thrown his way.
Fortunately, Ethan stepped forward to help, putting a hand on the Head Captain's shoulder to calm his excitement. He berated lightly:
"Come on, Richard. I know you're excited, but don't overwhelm the poor sergeant."
Then, turning to the sergeant, he asked gently:
"Your name?"
The guard, who was already regaining his bearing and wasn't breathing as heavily, replied with a disciplined salute:
"Mark… Mark Cromswell, sir."
Ethan nodded.
"Good, Mark. For you to recognize the master, you must be a long-time recruit. So tell us — where did you meet him?"
Still in a salute, the soldier replied orderly:
"I was at my post guarding the gates with my men, and he came before us… He seemed to have just awakened. He was shirtless, with only silk pants on."
Ethan caressed his bare chin.
"I see… What did he say to you guys, and where did he go from there?"
"Sir, he questioned about the territory development, the time he spent in slumber, and the current situation of the world… And he asked about the captains." Sergeant Mark replied quickly, pausing a bit before continuing.
"As for his whereabouts… I don't know. We were still speaking when all of a sudden his expression changed and he teleported. My best guess is that he went out of the gates."
Rachel nodded from the side.
"That's possible. Seeing that there are intruders, as the Lord he would sense the threat."
Richard was about to speak when a commotion from behind caught his attention.
Glancing back, he saw heading their way all the Captains — apart from Ashley and Lionel, that is.
"Is it true?!" Dio's eyes were bright, his face brimming with expectations as he rushed before Richard.
The Head Captain nodded.
Dio burst with excitement.
"Yes! Finally our circle can finally make some real progress!"
From behind, Layla and co had finally caught up. She and her partner had dealt with the other Lords quite quickly, and through her skills as a Default Administrator, she was able to teleport them all into their cells.
She and Frederick were about to go relay info that their mission was complete when suddenly Alpha rushed to them, speaking its words still broken but 100% understandable.
It relayed that it sensed their master's presence… Their master was awake!
This news wasn't only passed to them, but to the other Captains too.
"Do you know his whereabouts?" Jake asked.
Ethan nodded.
"Yes, we have a good guess…"
"Then what the hell are we waiting for?" Dio exclaimed impatiently, eager to meet his Lord.
Richard nodded. He turned towards the visiting Lords headed by Vera.
"Are you guys coming?"
Vera's eyes gleamed.
"Sure, we're not missing this."
And so they all left, boarding different vehicles from before the building.
Before long, they alighted before the mechanized gates of the Aegis.
Though they had seen the construct once, the Lords couldn't help but marvel at the sight. Such a defense structure they didn't have. At most, all they had protecting their cities were great towering walls scaling the skies.
And the only defense that could be found on them were ballistae and cannons. Compared to Roy's turrets — easier to reload, needing less manpower to operate and maintain — it provoked envy in the hearts of the Lords.
Vera's reasoning was beginning to become clear. If such a figure could join their ranks, the benefits and advantages would be overwhelming…
Brandon muttered silently:
"We need to get this guy… no matter the cost."
Due to the advanced senses of all the others, they heard his silent vow, and they couldn't help but nod in agreement, eyes flashing with determination.
Richard's crew didn't open the main gates — that would cause too much commotion. Instead, they followed through one of the elevators embedded into the structure.
Naturally, Aegis wasn't just a dome of pure metal. It was a majestic, intricate structure that held within it multiple rooms and halls.
Some held the offense systems of the structure — namely the turrets and lasers. But it also had rooms for ammo storage, halls where all visitors or newcomers came through to be searched and listed, and many more.
This time, the Captains were heading for the highest of rooms — the place where one could observe the territory without using features like the territory bird's-eye view.
Due to their numbers, they had to board different elevators, which took them straight to the peak.
Ding!
After a few minutes of slightly increased bearing weight of gravity due to ascending, the elevator arrived at its destination.
The doors slid open automatically, revealing an empty room that was completely transparent. Apart from the floors, the entire thing was clear.
It was at this point the Lords discovered this room wasn't just at the very peak — it was at the very heart of the dome, the center of the territory. Meaning at some point the elevator had to make a curve.
Their eyes gleamed with appreciation for the technology.
Once more, the reality that these guys were way ahead of them in advancement solidified.
"There! There! See, it's Master, hahah!" Dio's voice caught their attention.
Gazes followed the direction he was pointing at.
And indeed, below the curve of the structure, some slight distance away, there was Roy…
While the Captains were excited, the Lords' expressions went grim.
Because while the others focused only on their master, they could see that Roy was having a dialogue with some unpleasant folks.
"I thought you said you had already spoken to him about an alliance with us," Sonia couldn't help but question in a panic.
The mere thought that these opposing parties would steal Roy right from their grasp terrified them.
Vera was just about to reply when suddenly Roy burst into action, directly engaging in a clash with the Lords.
She smiled confidently.
"That should be an answer, no?"
The other Lords kept silent, eyes glued to the scene, watching as Roy devastated five powerful Lords in battle.
"That guy is good, a battle-oriented Lord just like we needed," Roderick stated.
Just then, something seemed to happen, causing Roy to freeze in his tracks…
When suddenly the air crackled. They stared at the skies as they saw the skies parting, a colossal shadow casting over the lands, blotting out the sun…
It was an unreasonably huge hammer descending from the heavens, heading right for Roy.
"Not on my watch!" Ethan promised, eyes glowing with power as his body took to the skies, directly shattering the reinforced glass of the room and ascending higher…