Chapter Fifty-Two: Good News? Bad News?

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Not all paladins were fools.

After receiving Rox's order to clear the battlefield, some entered the stronghold, intending to take account of their losses. It seemed the denizens of darkness had been so greedy they had not left behind as much as a fork, yet the paladins dutifully catalogued everything, so they would have answers ready should their superiors send someone to inquire.

It did not take long for the paladins to realize something was amiss. As they inventoried the stronghold, they discovered bloodstains in many places, fresh enough to suggest recent killings. That was hardly unusual under the circumstances, but what unsettled them was the absence of any corpses nearby. After a thorough search, they finally found the bodies in the basement—though...

As they entered the underground passage, an acrid, nauseating stench assaulted them. Rox frowned, lifting a torch to illuminate the dim corridor. Where once the passage had been quiet and orderly, now thick, yellowish, viscous secretions clung to the walls, sprawling in foul-smelling lumps. The entire underground corridor was dark and lifeless, even with the torchlight, a sense of evil and death suffused the space, forming a silent lament in their ears.

It was truly sickening.

Confronted by the sticky, encased chamber, Rox felt a wave of nausea, but his expression remained unchanged as he strode forward.

This had once been the storeroom for supplies, for the Shadowlands were nothing like the surface—there was nowhere to hunt rabbits or deer for roasting. All the Order’s provisions came from above, and Jen had taken them all without hesitation, down to the last bag of flour. Naturally, the warehouse was completely empty—or so they thought!

“What in the world is this?”

Rox’s eyes widened in astonishment as he entered the storeroom, staring at the scene before him.

Where once the warehouse had been empty, now dozens of pale, egg-shaped objects stood upright on the floor. But unlike ordinary eggs, these were not true eggs. Rox noticed that at their tops were petal-like openings, hollow and black inside. It was clear something had been incubating within, and had burst forth to leave them in this state.

Even more striking were the walls, coated in viscous matter, where soldiers’ bodies were encased in slime. Their faces were pale, eyes and mouths agape in terror, their expressions alone enough to chill the soul. What pained Rox most was the realization that there was no hope of rescuing them—they were all dead.

“Sir.”

Other paladins in the storeroom hurried to salute him, their faces ashen, as if they had witnessed horrors beyond imagining.

“What happened here?” Rox asked in a low voice. Soon, a paladin stepped forward to explain.

After discovering the underground warehouse and its contents, their first concern had been the deaths of their comrades, not the upright eggs. But soon, the eggs began to stir, hatching a swarm of monsters that attacked the paladins!

“Monsters?”

“Yes, this thing right here!”

As he spoke, the paladin used his sword to lift a white insect before Rox. It resembled a creature native to the Shadowlands—bloated, flat-bodied, with three pairs of insect-like limbs. The body had been cut open, stiff in death.

“Were these monsters powerful?”

“Not particularly, just revolting... Sir, you might not know, but these bugs tried to latch onto our faces the moment they appeared. Disgusting beyond belief.”

“No one was hurt?”

Rox asked sternly. His subordinate shook his head.

“We’re fine, sir. A few brothers got caught off guard, but it was nothing serious—just a sickening experience. Still, these insects are truly bizarre, worthy of the Shadowlands. Just seeing them chills the spine... I wonder where these damned things came from.”

His words were spoken casually, but Rox’s eyes flashed with insight, and he regarded the eggs with growing suspicion. There were over fifty eggs—he knew of no creature capable of laying so many in so short a time. Considering the timeline, from the start of the battle, its end, and their return, it amounted to only a few hours. The enemy had not only defeated their foes and looted the stronghold, but also placed all these monster eggs here. But why?

Rox was perplexed. He knew some would deliberately place powerful beast cubs among enemy ranks, luring the beasts to their young and forcing a violent confrontation. Different races, different tongues—unless you had a druid or elf to mediate, there was no avoiding a brawl. Was the enemy attempting the same, secretly planting monster eggs from the Shadowlands to sow chaos?

“Did you see any other monsters?”

“No, sir.”

“I understand.”

Receiving their answer, Rox nodded and quickly issued new orders.

“Cleanse this place completely—let all this evil be reduced to ashes!”

“Yes, sir!”

As Rox emerged from the fetid passage, he shook his head in frustration. The attack on the supply stronghold had left him sleepless. That the enemy had found this place suggested they had been under observation for a long time—a troubling implication for the Temple of the War God’s mission. Were those who attacked the stronghold connected to the evil foretold in the prophecy? If so...

“Sir... Sir...!”

As Rox pondered, his subordinate’s urgent call echoed from ahead, prompting him to sigh and look toward the source. Today had been truly ill-fated; nothing good had happened since dawn.

“What is it now?”

He regarded the breathless messenger with surprise. Unlike the others, who arrived distraught and tearful, this one showed a hint of joy beneath his anxious expression. Curious, considering the stronghold had been destroyed—what reason for happiness?

“Sir, we’ve found the culprits!”

“Oh?”

Rox was startled.

“What happened?”

“It’s like this...”

The paladin wasted no time in explaining. After the attack, though Rox had ordered the others to clear the battlefield, not every paladin was content to obey. The gruesome fate of their comrades stirred anger, and a few hot-blooded youths decided to secretly follow the enemy’s trail in hopes of finding clues. Led by a skilled scout, they tracked Jen and his group, careful not to confront them but eager to learn their identities and whereabouts for future vengeance.

The pursuit was unimpeded—the enemy had left in haste, failing to conceal their tracks. The paladins followed smoothly, but as they passed through a tunnel, they unexpectedly encountered a patrol of gray dwarves.

The gray dwarves reacted with wild fury, swinging axes and attacking. Though caught off guard, the paladins soon regained the advantage and slew several dwarves, while the rest fled. The paladins considered pursuing, but just then a dark, strange, and terrifying creature appeared, forcing them to halt and allowing the dwarves to escape.

“A dark creature?”

“Yes, sir. Clearly, the gray dwarves and their monsters attacked our stronghold. I believe we should gather our forces and wipe out these damned underground dwarves!”

“I see. Let me think...”

Rox nodded, though the explanation seemed plausible, he sensed something was not quite right.

Where had it gone wrong?

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