Chapter 76 Getting Worse

The inside of the cave was very dark. But the cave was not so wide that Erend and Saeldir could immediately find them.

Saeldir created an orb of light the size of a palm. With that orb of light, the two of them were finally able to illuminate the dark cave.

"Erend?" Billy asked with a mumble.

Erend was shocked at their condition. Billy and Lt. Boartusk were lying side by side. Their skin is pale and there are black spots there.

Some shackles tied their wrists and feet. Elis who was next to the two of them was also in the same state. But she looked even worse.

Elis lay with empty eyes and a mouth uttering incoherent words. Erend immediately approached them. Saeldir followed behind him.

There was no worry on Saeldir's face like Erend's. The elf just looked at them with a straight face.

"What happened to you guys?" Erend asked in a worried tone.

"They did... something crazy... to us," Billy answered in a disjointed and weak voice.

Erend's jaw hardened at their state. Suddenly there was thin steam coming out of Erend's body.

"Let's get out of here," Saeldir who saw Erend's body let out steam said. He knew it was a bad sign. The white steam must have come out because of the Dragon's power within him.

Saeldir understood that. When he saw the condition of his friends like that, anger must have taken over Erend. That would trigger his tantrum. And if he ran amok here, it would be dangerous.

After Saeldir's words, Erend didn't move at all. Saeldir stepped forward and grabbed his shoulder.

"We have to get out of here. We've got your friends. What more could you want?" Saeldir said.

Then, with a voice that almost sounded like a growl Erend replied. "What did they do to my friends?"

Saeldir looked again at the condition of the humans. Then his face crinkled for a moment.

"I don't know," Saeldir replied. "We can check them out at the palace. Let's hurry. If the Daemons come back, things could get messy and I don't want to get involved in that mess."

Hearing Saeldir's words, Erend took a deep breath. The white steam on his body disappeared.

"You're right. Let's get them out of here," Erend said.

Saeldir tried to use the power of teleportation. But after trying several times the power didn't work.

"Looks like we can't teleport directly in this place," Saeldir said. "Take them outside."

Erend instantly shattered the chains and shackles that bound their feet and wrist.

Billy and Lt. Boartusk can still walk though staggered. But Elis couldn't even sit back down. So Erend carried her.

Saeldir just walked in front of them without bothering to help them. Once they were out, Saeldir immediately tried to teleport again.

"It's going to be more dangerous. If anyone passes through here, we'll be caught right away," Saeldir said.

"Do it quickly!" Erend said.

Saeldir looked at him. "What do you think I'm doing!"

Saeldir kept trying to speed up the teleportation process. But he knew one very shocking thing.

"I can only send one person to teleport at a time," Saeldir said.

"Why?" Erend asked in a shocked voice.

"We are at the center of Mount Calamity. This mountain is the domain of the Daemon of Calamity so my power is limited here," Saeldir explained.

Erend took a deep breath. But he knew that right now he didn't have much choice either.

"Okay then," Erend said.

Saeldir moved closer to Billy and touched his shoulder. Billy looked sick and weak. He didn't even want to waste energy talking.

A moment later Billy's body began to turn into tiny particles of blue light. Starting from the feet and then going up until finally, the whole body disappeared.

Saeldir did the same to Lt. Boartusk and Elis.

Saeldir took quite a while to teleport the three of them. Something he should have done at once, but now he had to take turns.

After the three of them teleported, only Erend and Saeldir were there. Saeldir directly touched Erend's body and Erend's body began to be enveloped in white light.

Suddenly from the passage above them, came out the figure of Baldeem and the black-robed figure.

"(It's true,)" the black-robed figure said.

Baldeem had not heard his words because he had been overcome by a wave of burning anger.

Seeing the figure of an Elf in the middle of his kingdom with a human made him feel a rage he had never felt before.

Baldeem baring his teeth. Then he pulled a double-bladed ax from his back.

Baldeem immediately jumped down without waiting for the words to come out of 'They' mouth.

Erend and Saeldir were shocked. But once they saw that Baldeem had charged toward them, they had no choice but to attack too if they wanted to survive.

Saeldir drew his sword from the sheath at his waist. The blade of the sword gave off a faint glow and there were strange symbols carved into the blade.

Erend also saw no other option for them but to fight. The important thing is Billy, Lt. Boartusk, and Elis were already out of this place. That way Erend can be a little relieved.

Erend also thought that this was the right time to let out the anger he had been holding back.

The suffering faces of his friends who were bound by shackles flashed through Erend's mind again.

[ Skill activated: Dragon Scale (Lv.1) ]

Erend's body started to change. Red and black scales covered his body. Erend stepped forward to approach Baldeem.

Baldeem is getting angrier seeing the human approaching him. He swung his ax and then slammed it towards Erend.

'DANG!'

The ax only hit Erend's scales without leaving a wound. It left Baldeem in shock.

The ax was a weapon forged with metal and a special means that could cut and pierce the Magic of the Elves.

But now the ax had no effect. Baldeem knew that the red and black colored skin was the power of the Dragon in the human body.

But he didn't expect his skin to be this strong. Erend then punches Baldeem in the stomach. '

'BUAGH!'

"Urghhh…"

Baldeem groaned in pain. He's in shock. The blow could even pierce through his armor.

Saeldir who saw that also intended to help. He knew that they wouldn't be able to get out of this mountain if they couldn't escape from them.

Saeldir let go of his sword and it floated next to Saeldir. He spoke the words in Quenya then the sword slid towards Baldeem.

But before the sword reached Baldeem, an energy shield appeared. The sword hit the shield and bounced off.

Saeldir turned his head towards the black-robed figure. The figure was spreading its arms after creating an energy shield to protect Baldeem.

Saeldir frowned. The black-robed figure turned out to be quite skilled at using Magic. He could even create such a powerful energy shield in no time. It provoked suspicion in Saeldir's mind.

There weren't many creatures that could be this skilled at using Magic. Especially outside of the Elf race.

Meanwhile, Erend continues to fight with Baldeem. They countered each other's blows and attacks equally.

Saeldir wasn't sure that he could help them with the presence of the black-robed figure.

Suddenly the figure turned black summoned three shadow soldiers and sent them to approach Saeldir. Saeldir immediately acted by recalling his sword near him.

Saeldir didn't fight to wield the sword and swing it like Aerchon or the other Elf warriors.

The sword always hovered by Saeldir's side and obeyed his orders because it was connected to his mind.

Saeldir moved his hand then the sword slid towards the three shadow warriors. The sword pierced the three of them with ease like a needle piercing a soft cloth.

The three shadow warriors shattered into a puff of black smoke that spread out in all directions.

Then Saeldir pointed his sword at the black-robed figure. Suddenly from within the black robes, they took out something that immediately passed into their hands.

It was a staff with a pitch black color. There was a black gem on the top of the wand.

The black-robed figure moved his wand and then a wall of shadows appeared from the ground. Saeldir's sword hit the shadow wall and bounced again.

This time, Saeldir was sure of something. Within Saeldir's head, a great possibility arose.

The figure beneath the black robe was an Elf.

But that's not certain. In some cases, there are also human figures who can master Magic quite well.

But when combined with the events that had recently occurred in the Elf palace and so on, the possibility that behind that black-robed figure was a traitor was quite high.

A noisy voice from inside the cave above was heard.

A moment later dozens of Daemon of Calamity appeared.

Saeldir clicked his tongue as the situation got worse. He turned to Erend and saw he was still fighting with Baldeem.

~~~