Chapter 392 – The Unwelcome Guests.

“Huh? What is happening?”

“Are you awake? Good as you can see your lordship, we have a small situation here. Remember those cultists we spoke about? Yeah, they are now here.”

Roland shouted, pointing towards the group of undead monsters surging through the breach in the wall. Arthur was visibly perplexed by the situation, but Mary swiftly assisted him, simultaneously withdrawing a set of runic daggers she had concealed in her dress. Meanwhile, on the other side, the cultists had successfully breached the barrier, and their conversations became audible to everyone who was now awake.

“How can this be, how are these people awake? Did they really manage to suppress the great relic?”

“This is inconceivable…”

“We can’t allow anyone to escape, we need to capture the one responsible!”

The man at the helm of the undead horde began to shout while standing amidst the wreckage of the wall. His eyes were fixed on Aurdhan, who was locked in combat with one of their cult members. Gradually, his gaze shifted to the other individuals who were now alert. His face was mostly concealed by the hood of a dark robe, and all Roland could make out was his parched skin, along with some peculiar occult symbols adorning his chin. The necromancer seemed like he was a walking corpse that was quite animated.

Behind him, there was a gruesome display of shape-shifting as the Eldritch Warlock materialized behind the Necromancer. Earlier, one of the shoulders had swollen to form a large eyeball, and now the second one was also taking shape. It appeared that this cultist’s transformation was a gradual process that probably would turn him to a true monster.

“Woah, this baldie isn’t half bad…”

“Hah, stop running you damn Wench!”

Not that far away from them the third member shouted out as if she was enjoying the wounds she had received. Aurdhan had managed to make the woman retreat back to where the gash in the wall had opened, a few nicks and bruises already visible on her armor and body.

“You can’t even take care of one of them?”

“But Mr. Necromancer, he is strong~”

“Useless!”

As the two cult members began to bicker, the guild master spotted an opportunity he couldn’t afford to miss. They were all standing in close proximity to each other, which, for a skilled warrior like him, presented the perfect chance to strike. His large form began to radiate a bright red aura as he concentrated his energy. It swiftly converged on the mithril axe gripped in his right hand, triggering his attack skill.

The axe struck the ground, releasing a burst of red aura that created a small explosion of energy. Aurdhan tightly gripped the hilt with both hands and swung his weapon toward the cultists who were observing him. A massive wave of chaotic aura energy surged forth from the ground, materializing as it advanced in their direction. Initially, it collided with the undead monsters at the front, engulfing them, and then flew in the direction of the three masterminds.

Roland, in the midst of assisting Bernir to his feet, was briefly stunned by the immense power the Guild Master unleashed. The broad red torrent extended the breach in the wall even further, encompassing the entire newly created entrance and colliding with the individuals present there. The resounding impact during the collision suggested that something had been struck, though it was difficult to discern whether the attack had managed to vanquish any of the cultists positioned in that area.

“B-boss? W-what’s happening? Why is everything shaking?”

“Good, you’re up. There is not much time so listen. The cultists are here, I need you to help bring everyone to the escape tunnel just like we discussed before!”

“The escape tunnel?”

“Yes, the escape tunnel.”

Roland replied hastily. He grabbed Bernir’s arm, pulling him to his feet and assisting him in regaining his balance. Even though the smoke had not cleared up yet, he did not believe that the cultists would be finished after one attack. It was best to use this moment of confusion to get everyone who had passed out to safety.

“Remember, we planned for this scenario just in case. Now, we need to get everyone to safety. Can you do it?”

Bernir’s eyes widened as he finally grasped the gravity of the situation. He nodded vigorously, his expression transforming from confusion to resolute determination. Roland had anticipated that such a scenario might unfold. After the Lich’s attack, the underground area had been fortified, and additional escape routes had been established to aid them. Bernir was well-versed in each of them and could guide people to safety or even assist them in reaching the panic room if the situation demanded it.

“Aye, I remember the plan. I’ll gather the others and lead them to the tunnel. You can count on me, boss!”

“Good, here take this.”

“A helmet?”

“Yes, it’s a helmet. Do you see the four there, you remember them, the adventurers that traveled with me during the previous cultist incident?”

“Aye?”

Bernir nodded, though he wasn’t entirely sure of Roland’s intentions. He was handed the helmet, the same one he had used to awaken others, but this detail was unknown to him at this point in time.

“Place the helmet on their heads. It should awaken them from the illusion, but it will only work on those four. Explain everything to them and get their assistance in helping the remaining guests.”

“You want me to… aye, no problem, boss. I understand.”

The half-dwarf nodded without further inquiry. He realized there was no need to question Roland’s instructions. His trust in Roland was unwavering, and he knew that if he placed the helmet on those people’s heads, they would likely awaken. During the commotion, Roland continued to analyze the situation along with trying to grasp the signal the relic was producing.

It was not quite the same one that he encountered during the village incident. Blocking or canceling the illusion for every unfamiliar person without their stored mana patterns was an impossible task. The four adventurers, Grisalde, Senna, Dalrak and Orson had been invited to today’s wedding party. He had made a few quick changes to the helmet to target their mana patterns and could also remotely access it even if he wasn’t touching it.

Bernir only needed to place the helmet on their heads for Roland to activate the runic structure. During a chaotic battle, focusing on awakening more than these four would be impractical. With their help, he was somewhat confident that the guests could escape. The number of people wasn’t overwhelming, and Grisalde alone could probably carry out five people at once.

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“Lord Arthur, we need to leave.”

“Mary, we need to help the guests.”