Chapter 531 – Wind Temple.

Inside a silent chamber lit by torches, a man stood still. Sweat was visible on his toned body but his wrinkled face betrayed his true age. The man stood before the imposing slab of mithril, his stance relaxed yet purposeful. Torches lining the walls flickered, their light glinting off the gleaming surface of the nearly indestructible metal. A silence hung heavy in the chamber, broken only by the soft rustle of his clothing as he shifted his footing.

The sword in his hand was no ordinary weapon. Its slender, shining blade bore intricate magic symbols that pulsed faintly, their light dancing like the embers of a dying fire. He raised it in a single, fluid motion, his focus narrowing until the entire world seemed to consist of him and the slab before him.

Taking a measured breath, he slid his foot forward, his body coiling like a spring. The next moment, he unleashed a strange thrust- a motion that seemed almost effortless, yet carried an overwhelming force. The blade pierced the mithril with a sharp and resonant sound, the vibrations rippling through the chamber.

A moment later, the result of his strike became clear. A clean, gaping hole punched straight through the mithril slab, the edges smooth and polished as if crafted by a master artisan. The man’s arm remained extended for a moment, the blade of his fencing sword shimmering faintly as residual energy dissipated into the air. He stepped back, lowering his sword and exhaling deeply, his sharp eyes inspecting his handiwork.

The old man exhaled, lowering the blade. The weight of the strike was absent from his posture – his form as balanced and composed as it had been before the attack. His eyes, sharp and unyielding, studied the slab. Satisfied, he took a step back, allowing himself a small smile.

“That makes six. Maybe I should switch to adamantium.”

He murmured, glancing toward a row of identical mithril slabs, each marked by a similar head-sized hole. Most of them were broken and crumbled, weakened by the multiple punctures they had endured. Just then, the chamber door creaked open, and a butler entered, dressed impeccably in black and white. The man turned to face him, his silvery-white hair catching the flickering torchlight, his upper lip adorned with a gentlemanly mustache.

“Your Grace.”

The butler intoned, bowing deeply.

“A message has arrived from the Adventurer’s Guild.”

“I see, is it that time again?”

The butler nodded silently and presented a letter to his master. The man didn’t bother to dress; instead, he simply grabbed the neatly prepared letter, which had been offered to him on a plate of silvery metal. The envelope was peculiar, embellished with the depiction of a crowned stag. After cutting it open with the provided letter opener, the mustached man began to read.

“Hmmm.”

The butler remained there, his head lowered while the man played around with his mustache. After a minute he placed the letter down and nodded.

“Good, make the preparations and send out the invitations, we still have some time.”

“Yes, your grace.”

It was clear that the butler knew what his master wished. He gave a slight bow, his hands neatly clasped as he retreated from the chamber. His polished shoes tapped softly against the stone floor, the sound fading as he exited through the heavy oaken door. The old man remained behind, his gaze lingering on the mithril slabs. With a sigh, he sheathed the slender fencing sword into its ornate scabbard and turned toward the chamber’s single, narrow window.

Stepping closer, he pulled aside the thick velvet drapes, allowing the pale moonlight to illuminate his face. His expression was unreadable, his sharp eyes narrowing as they focused on the distant horizon. Beyond the sprawling grounds of the castle, with its meticulously manicured gardens and towering battlements, loomed a shadowed, ominous peak. A volcano.

Its jagged form dominated the landscape, black smoke curling lazily from its summit, while a faint orange glow illuminated the edges. The sight was both majestic and foreboding, the volcano’s sheer scale dwarfing the massive city below. The old man’s lips pressed into a thin line as he studied it, his fingers drumming against the window frame. His gaze lingered on the strange grayish fog beginning to envelop it…

*****

“Now that I have the full scans, this area will probably be the best spot for the teleportation chamber. The rocks aren’t too hard, and there’s enough foliage to hide the entrance from the monsters.”

Roland nodded as he placed his hand on the dungeon wall. Before leaving this floor, he had left behind a small hole along with several hovering golems. Even in his absence, they had spent days floating through the air, scanning every nook and cranny of the level. Thanks to their efforts, he had discovered a few hidden locations leading to treasure – one of them conveniently close to this spot.

‘These will work nicely to help power the teleportation gate, though it won’t be enough to sustain all of the turrets. Lucky to find a small mana crystal pocket.’

His plan to bring his automatons here to farm the temples was still hampered by the problem of power consumption. However, if he could establish the gate, he could link it temporarily to his workshop and allow him to travel back and forth with no delay. For now, he was focused on expanding the area and he wasn’t working alone.

“…snooff…”

“Agni, your nose is covered in dirt.”

“Woof!”

Agni was a great help when it came to digging. His ruby-crystal wolven form had sharp claws that tore through the hard rock as if it were butter. With Agni’s assistance, Roland could concentrate on reinforcement. Just like with the door leading into this dungeon, encasing everything in metal would prevent the walls from fully fusing back together. As Agni dug, Roland systematically took out the metal plates he had prepared earlier. Each plate was fitted with clasps, designed to lock securely onto the others.

‘A simple rectangular is usually the best…’

It didn’t look impressive, but it worked. Soon, Roland had carved out a space roughly ten meters long, five meters wide, and two and a half meters high – just enough to fit a small teleportation gate. A faint light radiated from the metal plates, which, once carefully positioned, locked into place with surprising force. Each panel was inscribed with runes, their intricate designs serving to stabilize the structure and channel mana into the teleportation gate.

“Good work, Agni. That should be wide enough. Stand guard and take care of any undead that wander over here.”

“Woof!”

Agni shifted into his flaming form, his fiery aura casting flickering light onto the dungeon walls as he stood guard. Meanwhile, Roland continued working, his thoughts branching out beyond the immediate task.

With Armand and Lobelia back, the two could focus on leveling up and gaining more power. Arthur also seemed receptive to the school project Roland had proposed, and even Elodia appeared to be considering it. Funding everything was a concern, but once this endeavor was complete, he felt confident he’d have access to enough resources to ease those worries for a long time.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

‘I suppose, I’ll fill this out later and now I should focus on clearing this level.’

Roland nodded in satisfaction as the space had been drilled out and reinforced with his metal plates, forming a sturdy, box-like structure. He hadn’t brought a fully functional teleportation gate with him, but once he finished his preparations, he would assemble it on-site. Once the gate was operational, he could transport the turret materials through it and install them on the dungeon ceiling.

The turrets he had previously installed were still intact but remained depowered due to the lack of batteries. This new setup would address that issue and allow him to secure the area more effectively. Once everything was completed, Roland placed a large rock at the entrance. He had designed the room so that the dungeon would naturally close itself around it, sealing the space inside. The rock was a temporary measure; later, he would construct a proper entrance after clearing the floor.

“Well then, Agni, which one do you want to tackle first – the wind temple or the water temple?”