Level Up Legacy

Chapter 1036 A Laid Trap

The four were confused, and Haldor was the only one not devouring the breakfast Arthur had prepared for them. He was still drifting back from the land of dreams and needed a few moments to realize what was happening.

"A mission that would turn the world upside down?" muttered Haldor with confusion. "Are we doing something in Xeloria?"

"Quite the opposite, my friend," said Arthur with a smile as he offered some garlic bread and a bowl of gravy. "This mission will involve leaving the city. I learned of a recent dungeon in the Dark Forest. Some say it holds hefty rewards."

"A dungeon, huh?" muttered Haldor with a puzzled expression. "I've never heard of one being in the Dark Forest. There are only monsters there, so it might be dangerous for us to go."

"I would never ask you to go, but the Brave Sarohan, Honorable Whisker, and Mighty Seraphine would be a great fit for the task. They could reap many rewards that might even threaten the balance of power on the second floor."

"Flattery won't get you anywhere," said Seraphine without taking her eyes off her food. "But I am indeed mighty. Where is this Dark Forest?"

"I have someone who will lead you there," said Arthur with a wave of his hand. "Don't worry about the small details. How are things on your end? Have you settled into your new lives?"

"We have the money, but what's killing us is boredom," said Whisker as he finished his cup of hot milk. "We enlisted in the army, but we feel more like paid mercenaries."

"This is the case in the Xelorian Army," said Sarohan with a sigh. "I was even sent to clean some officer's shelves because of my height. The Brave Sarohan reduced to such useless tasks!"

"I see that you liked the title quite a bit," said Arthur with a chuckle. "If that's the case, then you're in luck. I'll send you the details about the dungeon, and you can take care of the rest."

The three nodded, and Arthur left them to enjoy their food. Afterward, he jumped from the balcony and back into the streets before finding a place to hide. It took just a few minutes for a shadow to appear beside him, its long whiskers still covered in milk.

"You caught on quickly," said Arthur with a smile while standing on the building opposite the inn. "I had to get in touch with you guys, but Haldor is still here. How come he never returned to the camp?"

"According to him, he wants to help us," said Whisker while wiping his face after Arthur gestured toward it. "I told the other two about our plan, but not him. It seems he is indeed the spy, but how is he connected to Lord Marshal?"

"Maybe Haldor is not the spy, but they are getting intel about our movements through him," suspected Arthur with a frown. "In any case, what I said about the dungeon is nothing but a lie. I need you to visit the Dark Forest and see if anyone appears there."

"Would it not be just Lord Marshal?"

"Lord Marshal already knows that the dungeon in the Dark Forest has been cleared and disappeared, but the word hasn't gotten out yet. If the one spying on us is the lord, we wouldn't see anyone there. However, if the middleman was someone else…"

"They'll get greedy and visit the forest," said Whisker with a grin. "A great plan, Seika. Then, was that the reason you came here?"

"There is indeed a mission that would turn the world upside down, but we have to understand how they are spying on us before we go further. There is no need for you to confront whoever appears in the forest, but tail them and understand their motives."

"Leave it to me, Seika," said Whisker with a nod and a bow. "How are things on your end? Have you managed to enter the Golden Division?"

[General Announcement from City Lord Marshal Stormblade!]

[For their heroic deeds in protecting our city from harm, the recruits Alexie, Joey, and Koby have been assigned to enter the Golden Division. May their efforts and bravery make Xeloria the greatest city!]

Two panels appeared in front of them before Arthur could answer, and the entire city burst into cheers. Arthur and Whisker looked around the street to see people clapping and cheering for the rising heroes.

"You got your answer there," said Arthur with a smile. "Everything will be alright on my end. The second floor will witness a great storm."

"As expected from you, Seika. However, I have to say this… you seem different. Has anything happened while you were gone?"

"A lot happened, Whisker," said Arthur with a slight smile. "I'll tell you about it when we have the time. Maybe you were right. The gods were never our allies."

After seeing his expression, the feline nodded and disappeared, off to finish his mission. Arthur expected this matter to be resolved soon since the trap had been laid. After all, it bothered him to be monitored by the lord, so he needed to understand how it was being done.

Arthur remained on the roof, gazing down toward the cheering citizens. There was an old man carrying a bamboo box on his back, selling crops for a living. A child no older than three didn't understand the announcement but was jumping with excitement.

Every addition to the Golden Division meant that Xeloria had grown stronger again. This meant more farming lands, more food, and more power to protect them against threats.

"I reject their joy, for it exists because of fear of the unknown," muttered Arthur while gazing down toward the citizens. "Once I'm done with the second floor, there will be no more enemies."

Whisker found a comfortable spot on a branch in the Dark Forest. There were just two entrances to the forest, and the one close to Xeloria was overlooked by a hill. There were signs of battle in the surrounding trees, but Whisker was confident about his stealth.

The feline wasted no time in following Arthur's orders regarding the trap they had set for the spy. After all, the one monitoring them would want to seize the chance before they embarked on their journey.

As the name implied, the Dark Forest was a place of darkness. Even in plain daylight, it was gloomy and covered with thick clouds, hiding the forest in its folds. For a feline, it was as clear as day.

Whisker had lied to the rest about his whereabouts and told them he was finishing a task with hefty rewards that would require a few days. That was right – he expected the spy to take a few days before revealing himself. However, as soon as it got dark, there were movements in the distance.

Beastly roars echoed from the distance, grabbing his attention. Whisker could feel the tree shake beneath his feet, so he made sure to sit as still as a statue. As he squinted his eyes to look into the horizon, he saw three giant mounts approaching from the distance.

This group truly wasted no time in following the false tip that Seika had given them. After revealing themselves, it was obvious that Lord Marshal was not the one monitoring them directly. Someone else was watching them and giving partial reports to the lord.

As the giant mounts cut through the trail, it took them just a minute to reach the forest's entrance. Whisker held still as he tried to discern their identities, but all of them wore hoods that covered their faces and frames. It was impossible to tell who they were.

"This is the entrance!" shouted one of them as he pulled on the reins, stopping his giant mount and making the others follow suit. "If there is a dungeon inside this place, our arrays would find them. Waste no time! Each of us should take a different direction and plant the artifact!"

"Yessir!" shouted the other two before the three stormed off, each in a different direction. Whisker chose to follow the one in the lead as he jumped from the tree, not even disturbing a single leaf.

Although the mounts were fast, no one could outrun a feline. Whisker kept his eyes on the figure in case the man noticed him, but he did not until he reached his destination. The two went deep into the forest before the man jumped from his mount to land in a certain spot, which he began to study.

"Good mana conduction and rich soil," muttered the man to himself before taking out a long pole from his sleeve and sticking it to the ground. Then, he began arranging mana stones around the pole.

Whisker quickly realized they were building an array to detect any mana in the surroundings, which would lead them to the dungeon entrance. Thus, he calculated the direction the other two men went and decided to escape the array's zone.

After spreading the mana stones around the pole, the man began to infuse it with his own mana. The pole began to crackle with energy as it absorbed the mana stones and lit up with brilliant light.