Lord of Caldera - Chapter 156

Chapter 156: Chapter 156

“My lord, the preparations are complete.”

“Already?”

“Thanks to your guidance on the trap locations.”

“That was faster than I expected.”

Sylas stepped out of the tent, heading toward the dungeon. Inside, soldiers lay exhausted from the trap-disarming work, scattered among the debris of the treacherous interior. Stalagmites lay shattered, ancient spearheads littered the floor, and parts of the walls seemed to have partially melted, like magma.

Scanning the scene, Sylas muttered, “It’s utter chaos. Looks like a dragon rampaged through here.”

“It felt like fighting a dragon,” Bjorn remarked, wiping his brow. Despite the chill inside the dungeon, he was drenched in sweat after leading the disarming operation alongside Rey.

Sighing deeply, Bjorn glanced around at the dismantled traps.

“I’d heard about dungeon traps, but I never imagined they’d be this severe.”

The soldiers nearby shivered in agreement. Unlike ordinary traps, these were enhanced with ancient magic, operating on a completely different level. In one moment, blades would fly out of thin air; in another, flames capable of melting rock would burst forth. Explosions erupted without warning, launching people through the air.

Sylas surveyed the remnants of the traps with satisfaction. They had transformed this dungeon into a carefully laid trap, one that even the most cautious would find irresistible. Soon, Lugres would come, driven by his unquenchable greed for relics.

Now, all that remained was to wait for the bait to do its job.

“Still, I revealed all the trap locations,” Sylas said.

“Yes, thanks to what you told us, there were no fatalities,” the subordinate replied.

“Any serious injuries?”

“Thankfully, none. It’s all thanks to Sir Rey.”

Sylas thought to himself that, if not for Rey, there might have been serious injuries. Even with all the traps disclosed, this was still the result. However, he couldn’t bring himself to scold anyone, as he knew the horror of this dungeon all too well.

‘This place is one of the hardest dungeons out there,’ he thought. Even the ancient dragon, who possessed wisdom and power beyond humans, had perished here in pursuit of treasure. What hope did humans have?

Bjorn, having caught his breath, finally seemed to remember something and asked, “Come to think of it, how did you know about this dungeon?”

“My grandfather discovered it while hunting a long time ago.”

“A remarkable coincidence. Did you tell anyone else about it?”

“Who would I tell about such dangerous information?”

Bjorn fell silent at Sylas’s words. Sylas’s grandfather had been just an ordinary hunter. If he had informed others about the dungeon, he might have received a reward, but in the worst case, he could have been killed to silence him.

“He was a wise man,” Bjorn remarked.

“Yes, he was.”

“But my father would have rewarded him, I’m sure,” Bjorn added, grumbling. Sylas stifled a laugh. Now that he thought about it, Bjorn’s father would indeed have been the lord of this area back when Sylas’s grandfather lived. Even if he could go back in time, Sylas’s grandfather wouldn’t have revealed the dungeon’s existence. It was all a lie, after all.

‘Actually, it’s a dungeon that the barbarian king will discover in a few years.’

Sylas had only learned of the dungeon after the barbarian king had ransacked it. The king kept the dungeon’s existence secret while excavating, only to reveal his conquest later. That announcement drew countless adventurers to the emptied dungeon, hoping they might find a single overlooked nugget of gold.

‘I was one of those adventurers,’ Sylas thought with a smirk. Yet, he had come with a purpose. He had studied the traps in case it might help him in future dungeons. This allowed him to identify some trap locations and understand a few mechanisms. Not that he had found any of the treasures he had hoped for.

“How much progress has been made?” Sylas asked.

“Exactly, it’s hard to say, but we’ve probably covered at least 20%,” Bjorn replied, his face flushed with excitement. And who could blame him? This was a dungeon, after all, a treasure vault that could alter the power structure of the region once fully explored. To be making such swift progress was astonishing.

“At this rate, we could disable all traps within two months,” Bjorn added eagerly.

“No, sorry to disappoint, but this is where we stop,” Sylas replied with a grin.

“What?” Bjorn and the others looked at him, puzzled.

“We’re done here. Let’s head back to the territory.”

Everyone around Sylas stared at him in shock. Why would they abandon the dungeon now?

The spies dispatched by Lugues all reported back with similar findings:

It’s definitely an ancient dungeon.Currently being attacked with military support.Progress is very fast and going smoothly.

As Lugues read the reports, his hands trembled with anger. The emergence of such a great treasure nearby was a welcome opportunity. But now, it was about to fall into Bjorn’s hands.

‘There’s no more time to hesitate!’ he thought. Calling his confidant, Brian, he commanded, “Lead our army to the dungeon immediately! Do not let Bjorn claim those artifacts!”

“Yes, sir!” answered Brian, a stout knight with a thick beard. The troops assigned to him were substantial—half of Beldaine’s current forces, a significant measure considering Lugues’ nature.

‘This must mean he sees this as extremely important,’ Brian thought. Failing this mission would surely mean losing Lugues’ trust. Without delay, Brian urged his soldiers on, shouting, “Move quickly! We must drive them out and claim the dungeon’s ownership!”

“Yes, sir!” the soldiers replied, tense but ready for battle. They knew the dungeon’s value; even village children did. A fierce battle seemed inevitable. As they approached the dungeon, Brian called out, “Scouts! How many enemies are there?”

“Uh… none, sir.”

“What? That can’t be!”

“It’s true, sir! There’s not a single one! They abandoned everything!”

Disbelieving, Brian rode closer, seeing the dungeon’s entrance deserted, with tents and flints left behind as if they’d departed in haste.

“They really left,” he murmured, baffled. Had they fled upon hearing that his army was coming? While this seemed the most likely answer, something still felt off.