Chương 71: Chapter 70: One Light, Two Heavy, One Light

Gern sat alone at a table in the inn's first-floor common room, his right foot bouncing restlessly beneath the table as he kept glancing toward the window. He let out a long sigh. He drained the last of the water from his cup, then slumped back in his chair, his eyelids heavy. He had no idea how Harry was doing, or whether the boy had managed to deliver the message to Blackstone Town's branch guildmaster. Fortunately, the contract could not read his thoughts.

Otherwise, merely thinking about any of this might have been enough to alert Rockspring Dungeon. If he accidentally triggered a Demonic Tide outright, he would go down in history as a sinner. He did not even dare speak carelessly anymore. Rockspring Dungeon seemed able to hear his conversations with the people around him through the contract. After they left the dungeon, all he had done was let one curse slip, and a violent cramp had immediately torn through his abdomen.

That was why he had been forced to give Harry that strange, roundabout message. But if the branch guildmaster failed to understand what he meant, then they were truly finished. He could only hope the message had been understood. How much longer could he keep stalling? Gern could feel the foreign thing inside his abdomen beginning to stir, as though urging him to hurry to Blackstone Dungeon so Rockspring Dungeon could pinpoint the other dungeon's location.

"Don't rush me, don't rush me. You have to let me rest for a while, don't you?" Gern muttered under his breath. Sure enough, the movement inside him gradually subsided.

"At least you understand human speech." Apparently, it could only grasp the most literal meaning of his words. None of his more roundabout hints had ever drawn a reaction. Then again, the damned rock might simply be pretending to be stupid, hiding somewhere far away and watching him drop one idiotic hint after another as though he were the real fool. Even so, Gern preferred to believe it was an idiot. It had better be an idiot. As the minutes dragged on, Gern rubbed his brow.

His eyes grew increasingly bloodshot as he kept scanning the room, and his foot bounced faster and faster. The inn door suddenly opened. Gern's head snapped around. Harry stepped inside. His shoulders immediately sagged. He slumped back in his chair, both arms hanging limply at his sides, and let out a long breath. He was about to stand when he noticed two men following Harry. One was an old man with a gray-white beard. The other was middle-aged, with long silver-gray hair tied back in a ponytail.

Whatever Gern had been about to say caught in his throat.

"H-Harry... how did it go? Did you make our dissatisfaction with the Guild perfectly clear?" Harry stepped aside, allowing the two men behind him to come forward.

"Hmph. You're Gern, are you? Did you come all this way just to cause trouble?" The gray-bearded old man fixed Gern with an icy stare.

"This is no place to talk. Come with us." With that, he turned and walked straight back out of the inn. The middle-aged man with the silver-gray ponytail said nothing throughout the exchange. As he passed Gern, he merely gave him a calm glance. Gern rose at once and followed them. As he passed Harry, he slowed slightly, bent down, and whispered into the young man's ear.

"You did well... Leave the rest to me." As though comforting him, Gern slipped an arm around Harry's shoulders and lightly patted him on the back. Then he quickened his pace and caught up with the two men ahead. Only after the three of them disappeared through the inn door did Harry's legs suddenly give way. He collapsed to the floor and drew several deep breaths in quick succession.

"Please... You have to be all right, Uncle Gern." ◆ ◆ ◆ Inside the Guildmaster's office on the second floor of the Blackstone Town Guild branch, Gern finally learned who the two men were after a brief round of introductions. He could not remember another day in his life when his emotions had swung so wildly. The middle-aged man with the silver-gray ponytail was actually the Vice Guildmaster from the Adventurers' Guild headquarters.

Gern had no idea why someone like him was in Blackstone Town, but that title alone gave him a glimmer of hope in what had seemed like an utterly hopeless situation. The foreign thing inside his abdomen, however, still prevented him from saying anything outright.

"Gern, why did you lie about your rank? What could you possibly gain from doing so?" Greer sat in the guildmaster's chair with his elbows planted on the desk and his hands clasped beneath his chin. Elias leaned against a nearby wall with his eyes closed, looking as though he had no interest whatsoever in the dispute. Gern's eyes lit up. Greer had opened by mentioning the lie about his rank. That meant Harry had relayed every word correctly, and the two men had understood why Gern had truly come.

Gern hurriedly suppressed his excitement. He furrowed his brow again, tipped his chin up slightly, and gave a cold snort.

"Who knows what tricks you used to fool everyone? If you people are so fond of lying, then I can certainly follow your example." He leaned forward slightly, spread his hands, and continued in a low voice.

"If I'd told you I was only Bronze rank, would you have taken me seriously?" Greer's expression darkened as well.

"Whatever the case, we haven't lied here in Blackstone Town!"

"Why don't you go to Rockspring Town and see for yourselves? With all the adventurers gone, half the town has fallen silent. What are the people who made their living from those adventurers supposed to do now?" You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

"Hmph! The Guild has no time to waste sending people out over trifles like that." Gern's expression stiffened, and his heart sank. He had thought the Vice Guildmaster's unexpected presence might offer a way out. Could they have understood what he meant and still have no one to spare?

"However, if only to prove that we haven't lied, I can take you into Blackstone Dungeon and let you experience it for yourself." Gern froze. What did that mean? They were out of time, yet Greer wanted to take him on some dungeon tour?

"Greer! The most urgent matter right now is helping the people in Rockspring Town who have lost their livelihoods, not taking a leisurely stroll through a dungeon!" This time, the anger on his face was not entirely an act. Did they not realize that Rockspring Dungeon had forced him to come here precisely so it could gather information about Blackstone Dungeon? Once it obtained that information, it might even trigger a Demonic Tide. If that happened, Rockspring Town would be finished.

Harry and the others still had family there, and the contract had prevented Gern from telling them the truth before they left. If something really happened to Rockspring Town because of him, how could he ever face them again? If he were the only one who had to die, he wouldn't care. But an entire town was at stake! Still leaning against the wall, Elias slowly opened his eyes. His gaze settled on Gern, but he still did not speak. Just then, Greer raised a finger and rapped several times against the desk.

One light tap, two heavy taps, then one light tap. Gern recognized the rhythm. It was one of the tapping codes used by the Adventurers' Guild to convey short messages. This particular pattern meant that what Greer had just said was false. Perhaps they really did have a way. Gern forced down his anger and took two deep breaths.

"What? You think one trip into the dungeon will change my mind?"

"I'll show an ignorant fool like you what a true miracle looks like. Then your long journey here won't have been entirely wasted." Greer raised an eyebrow. His mouth twisted with disdain as he gave another cold snort, then tapped out two heavy beats against the desk. Two heavy taps. An affirmative answer. Gern's heart gave a jolt. Just as he had thought, they had found a way. Did that mean everything could be resolved as long as he followed them into Blackstone Dungeon?

He had no idea what they intended to do, but he had no other choice. For now, all he could do was trust them. Gern set his jaw and pressed his lips together. He let a few moments pass, pretending to wrestle with the decision, before looking back at Greer.

"Then... show me what's so remarkable about Blackstone Dungeon." The moment he agreed, the foreign thing inside his abdomen began stirring again. The strange sensation grew stronger and stronger. It could no longer contain its impatience. Gern followed Greer out of the Adventurers' Guild, with Elias walking silently beside them. They took the stone-paved road Gern had noticed upon first entering Blackstone Town and headed toward the dungeon outside town.

The thing inside his abdomen kept quivering throughout the journey. Gern could no longer tell how much of the churning discomfort came from the parasitic thing inside him and how much came from his own nerves. When the three of them reached the entrance to the camp, Gern's steps slowed of their own accord. The sight before him had completely surpassed anything he had imagined. Rather than a temporary camp set up outside a dungeon entrance, this looked more like another, smaller, rougher Blackstone Town.

Wooden houses stood scattered throughout the camp, while dim yellow lights glowed beneath their eaves and along both sides of the roads. Although night had fallen and some adventurers were preparing to rest, plenty of people were still moving about. Some sat around campfires tending to their equipment. Others talked loudly over bowls of food. There were even parties fresh from the dungeon gathered together, excitedly discussing everything they had gained that day.

Gern could not help thinking back to the busiest days Rockspring Town had ever seen. Even then, there probably had not been half as many adventurers in town as there were in the camp before him. No. There definitely had not. As he looked over the lively camp, the faint spark of hope inside Gern grew a little brighter. Perhaps Greer and the others truly could save Rockspring Town. Just then, a young adventurer in the camp noticed them. He looked briefly startled when he saw Greer and Elias walking ahead.

Then his gaze shifted to Gern beside them, and his eyes lit up. The young man turned and whispered to a teammate. The others followed his gaze. The moment they recognized Gern, their faces brightened, and the whole group ran over.

"Uncle Gern!" Gern froze at first, then smiled as well, though the smile quickly turned a little bitter.

"It's been a long time. So all of you ran off to Blackstone too." The young man at the front scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. Then, as though suddenly remembering something, he hurriedly pulled the adventurer's badge hanging beneath his collar into view. A Bronze-rank badge.

"Uncle! I'm Bronze rank now. I'm finally starting to catch up with you, aren't I?" The young man proudly patted Gern on the arm.

"Rena and the others have all reached High Black Iron rank too. Did you finally come to Blackstone because you're preparing to make a push for Silver rank?" Their youthful energy warmed Gern's heart. He reached out and ruffled their hair in turn. After a few brief greetings, Gern promised they could catch up properly next time, then hurried after Greer and Elias.

"People you know?" Elias asked from beside him. It was the first time he had addressed Gern without prompting.

"Yes..." Gern's voice dropped without him meaning it to, a slight rasp creeping in.

"They're all students I used to train. It feels good to see that they've truly grown." Yet those students, still smiling without a care, had no idea their hometown stood on the brink of destruction. Gern lifted his gaze to Greer's back, resolve hardening in his eyes. No matter the cost, he would convince Greer and the others to help save Rockspring Town. He could not allow a Demonic Tide to swallow the home of those children. After they had walked a little farther, Gern suddenly asked,"By the way...

how powerful is the strongest monster inside Blackstone Dungeon?" If Blackstone Dungeon's monsters were powerful enough, Rockspring Dungeon might think twice before making a move. Greer kept walking without answering. After a moment, he slowed, exchanged a glance with Elias, and leaned closer to confer with him in a low voice. Only after they appeared to settle on an answer did Greer speak.

"Adamantite." Gern's steps faltered.

"According to the information we currently possess, the one guarding Blackstone Dungeon's core is a demon warlord with High Adamantite-level strength." Gern's pupils contracted sharply, but a surge of joy immediately followed. The moment the word "Adamantite" left Greer's mouth, the strange sensation that had been stirring impatiently inside Gern, urging him toward the dungeon, abruptly went cold.

"B-but Blackstone Dungeon is only a few months old, isn't it?" Greer chuckled.

"Why do you think headquarters went out of its way to send the Vice Guildmaster here?" He raised his chin toward Elias, who walked beside them.

"Elias is Adamantite rank as well. Headquarters stationed him here in case Blackstone Dungeon suddenly triggers a Demonic Tide and sends that demon warlord out at the head of its monsters." Elias took over at just the right moment. His tone remained flat, but he sounded distinctly displeased with the arrangement.

"Were that not the case, I would have gone to the front lines of the Demonic Tide long ago. Why else would I remain behind in such a remote town?" Understanding dawned on Gern. The thing that had been urging him toward Blackstone Dungeon went almost completely still. The three did not speak again for the rest of the journey. Only when they reached the portal did Greer stop, take an azure orb from an inner pocket, and press it into Gern's hand.

"What is this...?" Gern looked down in confusion. The moment his fingertips touched the orb, a pale-blue light screen appeared before him. The message on the screen stated that as long as he carried the orb into Blackstone Dungeon, he could bypass the trial ahead and be transported directly to a safe area deeper inside. Gern read the message in silence for a moment, then slowly smiled. So that was it.

When Greer said he would take Gern into Blackstone Dungeon, he had never intended to make him fight through the dangerous trials near the entrance. They had prepared a way to send him straight to the safe area beyond them. More astonishing still, Gern had never heard of a dungeon capable of creating an orb that granted outsiders special access. The orb in his hand alone was enough to show him that Blackstone Dungeon truly was unlike any other dungeon.

◆ ◆ ◆ Inside the Core Chamber, Owen studied a map of the unfinished back half of Graywood Town, running several possible route layouts through his mind. Once all the adventurers had left the dungeon, he planned to transform the area into a maze-like district of tangled alleys. In the backstory Owen had created for Graywood Town, its residents had deliberately rebuilt the district closest to the dungeon into layer upon layer of narrow, intersecting streets in preparation for the Demonic Tide.

The houses stood close together, and the broad roads had been divided into narrow alleys so even a small number of guards could hold back the monsters pouring into town. After Graywood Town fell, however, those same defenses became the greatest obstacle to the rescue effort. The adventurers would not only have to find their way through the tangled alleys, but also search every house along the route for survivors who might be hiding inside.

That gave the complicated terrain a believable reason to exist while making the rescue mission much more difficult.

"I hope those adventurers don't hate me too much when the time comes." Owen chuckled wickedly to himself, then switched one of the light screens to the church resting room.

"How much longer is the old guildmaster going to take to bring the guy in?" Now that cooperation seemed possible, Owen just wanted Greer to finish the arrangements outside and bring the adventurer into the dungeon. If he could free the man from the forced contract, they would finally be off to a good start.

"Come on, Owen! You can do this!" Owen bobbed vigorously above the stone pedestal, mimicking an enthusiastic nod.

"If I handle this right, everyone can be friends from now on!"