Chapter 591: Breaching the Last Door
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The dungeon where the monster was held was beneath the Queen's Palace. It was strictly speaking not a prison, but a rather well fortified basement. As a migrant spacecraft, the only had a few brigs to hold unruly passengers or criminals and most were severely lacking in security details. So the queen had ordered the monster be kept to the cell under palace. This was the strongest, most secure cell in the whole city, but alas the monster was just right below the Queen's Palace, and the effects were telling.
Shaqira was seconded to the monster's cell team. She and Hao Ren led the way through the dimly lit tunnel and after confirming that the way was clear did they call the rest down. Vivian looked around the dimly lit old tunnels and the bubbles coming out of the contact grooves. Frowning hard,she said. "This look like a place that had not seen foot falls for ages, and the designs also don't look like your normal corridors."
"It's a water pressure regulator pipe. It wasn't meant to be the dungeon's entrance." Shaqira was rather familiar with the place. "The real entrance is supposedly somewhere inside the castle. This was something like a ventilation duct and after the dead left this place, no one had stepped foot since."
Vivian felt a sense of irony. "The monster was only locked up here in name, but it had instead became the monster's fortress and the ones that had lost their freedom were the guards outside. Anything that have to do with the Plane of Dreams sure is scary."
Shaqira turned her head around to ask out of curiosity. "What's the Plane of Dreams?"
"I'll let you have gander when we have a chance." Hao Ren replied, and he too was curious about something. "Say.. what were you doing back then in Nasaton? Why are you that familiar with the palace grounds?"
Shaqira smiled, "I was one of the palace guards... ugh... the outer wall ones. Nothing like the Queen's Guards. But when I was a guard I was still allowed to move in and out of the palace grounds, so I have some knowledge of the lay of the land, and I also know where the closest security posts are. Sorma was a technician in charge of maintaining the palace's magical machineries. She herself is a high level aquamancer."
Lily's ears shook. "A guard and an engineer? How did you guys pick the messengers back then?"
Shaqira shrugged. "Drawing lots, randomly chosen, volunteers.. all sorts of matter before we went ashore. I myself was confused for a good while after I came to shore, as it was chaotic when we left."
Lily spoke directly, "Frankly speaking when your Queen had you draw lots for such an important endeavour you should have noticed that something was wrong with her."
Hao Ren rubbed his chin. "Well, Raven12345 would do that sort of lottery thing alright. I've heard that when she made New Aerym it was all through dice rolls."
"Well, do you think even for a moment that your Goddess was even sane?"
Lily immediately shrunk her head and ran behind Hao Ren as she finished. The husky was afraid that she might be struck by a bolt of divine retribution. But after a while nary a spark appeared. Hao Ren patted her on the head. "Don't fret, stating facts is fine."
This was Hao Ren's team's tradition: No one was badmouthing about another.
As the team navigated through the dim tunnel, another team was blasting their way through the defences into the palace proper. The ruckus made was far far greater than what Hao Ren's team was doing.
"KABOOM!" A blast screeched across the field as a scorching hot sulphuric flame blew apart two shrieking sirens alongside a hole in the wall. Water started gushing out from the gap and the air was filled with sulphur. Y'lisabet held a giant fireball half her size with both her hands above her and flung it towards the enemy as she complained. "It's boring fighting in water! It's just not as powerful!"
Nangong Sanba was busy firing and reloading his crossbow as he looked at Y'lisabet throwing the big fireball away. "You're saying that is not powerful enough?!"
Y'lisabet had not conjured another giant fireball, but she had forgo the flinging part. She held in front of her and charged directly into the cluster of enemies like a homing missile, striking anything that was in the way of the fireball. The fireballs created by demonic magic had a core that was harder than adamantium, and anyone that came it contact with it simply vaporised. That was how terrifying it was. This sort of fighting style too would probably have human mages wet their pants, and even fewer demons would fight like this. Only Y'lisabet, the 'weak and sickly' demon princess who had put all her ability points into INT could conjure such a powerful spell!
They were trying to break through the last line of defence of the Queen's Guard and after the sirens wailed more and more guards swarmed forth to protect their queen. They had no idea how many sirens they had taken out so far, and no idea how many had resurrected to fight again. Only Hasse and White Flame had any success in curbing the siren's resurrection ability. The latter could swiftly cast sealing techniques in his attack while the latter's holy flames could do massive spiritual damage.
Regardless, it was Y'zaks whose overwhelming combat ability that was the driving force had broke through until the point that they could see the Queen's Chambers before them. Hasse too had felt a foreboding aura permeating from the gate. It was not a magical effect or anything, but simply an old demon hunter's natural instincts at work.
Finally, following Y'zaks massive blow against that shattered the last door of the chamber, the siren guards suddenly dispersed as if they had been ordered to. And the room was empty.
"Why did they retreat?" Nangong Sanba panted and after he was sure that the enemy was gone that he started acting bellicose as he stylished hung his crossbow over his shoulder. "Pffft, I thought they were elites, but they fight no better than grunts..."
Wuyue was healing Nangong Sanba's wounds as she grumbled. "Can you stop acting? Just look at your injuries!"
Y'zaks too was surprised at the sudden retreat and reminded everyone. "Eyes sharp! Something's wrong."
Hasse had chanted a few incantations before the wrecked palace door and once he was sure that there were no traps or hidden troops that he pushed the door open carefully.
The door immediately crumbled as soon as the demon hunter touched it and the group raised their weapons or prepared their spells as they stepped into the palace cautiously.
It was nothing but an eerie silence, and through the dimly lit lights, it was plain to all that this was a very huge, luxurious room that had many contraptions and furnitures of unknown use. Seems like the battle outside had not affected the room as it maintained its serenity, almost as if it's a different world altogether.
A figure appeared from the dim shadows and Hasse immediately drew his crossbow. "Beware!"
"You.....have... come...."
A screeching voice came from all four corners as the figure swam towards the group. She was a Siren in mermaid form, her looks was majestic and her eyes bright.
Sorma was maintaining the water barrier around the ground and subconsciously muttered, "Your Highness..."
The Siren Queen floating quietly on the water, her movements was weirdly stiff. She turned around to look at her enemies, without showing much aggression of her own, she was however curious. "You... are all...different.... I cannot... tell...."
She stiffly lifted her arms as she pointed at Y'zaks and Y'lisabet, "What... are... you..two?"
Hasse immediately frowned. "Wait a minute... why do I feel this Siren is different from the other enthralled Sirens?"
At the very same moment, a few hundred meters beneath the Queen's Chamber, Hao Ren had also reached the last compartment door.
A giant block of ice was falling slowly to the group as two sirens, their eyes black were entombed within. Vivian slapped her hands together. "I think sealing them in ice works rather well. At least they won't be resurrecting any time soon."
"It looks awful here." Hoa Ren touched the old, battered alloy compartment door as he looked around. This area had a dreadful aura to it and no normal person would stay here. "The monster did not moved itself even after taking control of Nasaton.... seeing this place I might actually believe it was still in captivity."
"Different views I guess." Lily wagged her tail. "Lets open it up."
'Y'zaks and the rest facing the Queen probably won't need to worry too much about mental attacks." Hao Ren smiled as he headed towards the door. "We on the other hand, need to stay sharp."
A slash from the cutting laser later, the door came apart without a sound.
Hao Ren saw the giant brain monster again. It was curled up in the middle of the room as the skin rippled with the water flow. As the door fell apart, the monster reacted as it floated and all its tentacles facing the newcomers in a defensive posture.
Hao Ren immediately frowned. "Wait a minute... why do I feel this monster is different from the others?"