The 'Extra' Lord (Unlimited Plunder) - Chapter 83

They pressed onward. Five minutes stretched into twenty, yet the passageways showed no variation. Beige rock walls formed an endless, oppressive monotony, devoid of features. Owen kept his focus on Justin, their only hope of finding the correct path through the labyrinth. He trusted him—implicitly.

But the same could not be said for the others. Doubt crept into their expressions, building with every step. The survivors exchanged uneasy glances, their nervous energy palpable. Only Elian maintained a stoic composure, his confidence unshaken.

Even Louis, the one Justin had risked himself to save, was casting wary eyes toward the scout’s broad back, suspicion etched into his face.

Justin came to an abrupt stop and turned, his sharp gaze scanning the tunnel behind them. It stretched long and straight, with no turns or exits—a stark and inescapable corridor. The others instinctively avoided his eyes, but Frank met his stare head-on.

“What is it?” Frank demanded, his voice carrying an edge.

Justin’s tone was steady, measured. “Something is following us.”

The survivors recoiled. Unease turned to panic. Frank furrowed his brow, summoning a fireball to his palm. The flame twisted in his grasp, dense and heavy, more than mere fire. With a sharp thrust, he hurled it down the passage.

The fireball hurtled forward, its searing light illuminating the bleak walls as it travelled. For a moment, the tunnel seemed empty. Then, as the fire reached its peak, flickering shadows danced on the stone. A chill ran through the group as monstrous shapes flickered into view.

Owen's jaw tightened as the truth revealed itself—the same predatory beasts that had nearly claimed Louis’ life were hunting them again.

Louis paled, fear overtaking his features. Without a word, he spun and bolted past Justin, his terror driving him forward.

“Move!” Justin barked, and the others obeyed, surging down the passage.

Owen took his position at the rear, his instinct to protect overriding any thought of self-preservation. As the strongest, it was his duty to ensure the safety of the others. Justin and Pyris flanked him, while Cruz and the rest stayed tightly grouped in the centre.

No matter how fast they ran, the creatures were faster. Owen could hear them now—high-pitched chirps echoing through the tunnel, the sinister clacking of mandibles snapping in anticipation.

He glanced back just as he heard the sharp twang of something snapping. His heart froze as an arrow whistled through the air, its speed cutting through the shadows like a razor. It hurtled straight toward him.

Justin raised three shadowy lances from the ground. The first two struck true, shattering into the oncoming wave of arrows, but the third lance struggled under the barrage. Arrows flew relentlessly—ten, twenty, too many to count. Each impact sent vibrations through the air as Justin’s defences faltered. A few arrows slipped past, whistling dangerously close. Owen, relying on his enhanced reflexes, plundered the energy from those that neared him with glancing touches, wincing at the faint sting left behind.

“Justin, they’re getting closer! How much longer?” Owen shouted, his voice edged with urgency as he refused to look away from the chaos behind him.

“We’re almost there. Keep your little legs moving,” Justin replied, his tone sharp but focused as he conjured another lance to block an arrow.

“They’re not that little!” Owen snapped, his irritation clear even as he deftly absorbed another arrow’s energy.

Then, Owen saw it: a faint light at the tunnel's end. His heart leapt, a surge of hope driving him forward. The light flickered like a distant promise of escape, yet its distance was impossible to gauge. Before anyone could react, Frank surged ahead, his legs igniting with flames. Each step left scorched marks on the tunnel floor as he accelerated far beyond the group. In a matter of seconds, Frank was already thirty metres ahead—then forty.

“Wait up!” Owen called, frustration breaking through as he plundered another bolt. This one stung more than the others, its power searing his palm. He grit his teeth against the pain, refusing to falter.

The light ahead suddenly disappeared, replaced by something massive and ominous. Owen squinted, confusion giving way to dread. A towering stone face emerged from the gloom, its jagged features blocking the tunnel like a sentinel.

Another Stone Golem. Owen’s stomach churned at the sight of the Monster-grade foe.

“Not again,” he muttered under his breath, his body already bracing for a fight. Pyris seemed to have the same idea, her fist shimmering with swirling star energy as she prepared to strike.

But Frank acted first. His orange flames flickered brighter as he hurled a fireball directly at the Stone Golem’s face. The fiery orb collided with a loud crash, sending the creature stumbling back. For a moment, it seemed like a breakthrough—but then Owen saw it. Between the golem’s long stone fingers, a smile widened, unnervingly humanlike. The fire hadn’t even scratched it.

“Frank, look out!” Owen shouted, his voice cracking with urgency.

Too late. A creature perched on the golem’s shoulder loosed an arrow, the motion almost imperceptible in its speed. The projectile shot toward Frank, and even with his fiery speed, there was no room to evade.

The arrow struck home, embedding itself deep in Frank’s stomach. Blood spilled from the wound, staining his clothes a dark crimson. Frank staggered, coughing violently as he gritted his teeth against the pain. Despite his injury, he roared defiantly and launched another fireball. This time, his aim was precise. The fireball struck the creature atop the golem’s shoulder, igniting it in flames. The monster shrieked as it tumbled from its perch, consumed by fire.

Owen’s gaze darted to Justin, whose grin was unnervingly steady. A flash of understanding passed between them. Justin was about to do something reckless.

“Frank, duck!” Owen yelled. To his relief, Frank obeyed without hesitation, dropping low even as pain wracked his body.

Justin moved. He was a blur, a streak of black that Owen struggled to track. Shadows clung to him like a second skin as he darted past Frank, leaping high into the air. A black lance materialised in his hand, sharp and deadly. With precision honed by countless battles, Justin drove the lance straight into the golem’s eye.

A thunderous groan echoed through the tunnel as the golem stumbled backward, its massive frame collapsing under its own weight.

Frank, still clutching his stomach, gripped the arrow embedded in his flesh. With a sharp, pained motion, he yanked it free. Blood spurted from the wound, but Frank gritted his teeth, refusing to falter.

Owen rushed forward, grabbing Frank under his arm and hauling him along. “Keep moving!” he shouted, not daring to slow down. The sound of claws scraping stone and guttural growls from behind spurred him onward.

Frank, despite his injury, lobbed another fireball over Owen’s shoulder. It struck the tunnel floor, creating a burst of flames that sent their pursuers screeching to a halt. The beasts hesitated, unwilling to charge through the inferno.

Emerging from the tunnel, Owen gasped for breath as he took in their surroundings. They stood on a narrow ledge carved into the side of a massive cliff. Below, the drop stretched endlessly into the darkness, easily an eight-hundred-metre fall. Glancing down, Owen’s eyes widened as he saw the fallen golem. Justin’s black lance had pierced its chest, pinning it like a grotesque trophy.

Owen turned to Justin, his chest heaving. “You really are a menace,” he muttered, half in awe, half exasperated.

Justin smirked but said nothing, his gaze fixed on the path ahead. “The way’s here,” he said, gesturing toward a treacherous trail that descended along the cliff face.

The group moved quickly, the path barely wide enough to accommodate them. Forty metres ahead, the trail shifted into a steep, spiralling staircase that carved downward into the canyon. Owen’s nerves frayed as he glanced back toward the tunnel.

An arrow whizzed past his ear, its sharp whistle startling him. He glanced toward Frank, who clung precariously to the edge of the path.

“Owen, shit!” Frank said, looking gazing down the sheer cliff drop. 

“If you’re complaining, that means you’ll make it!” Owen shouted back. “Now shoot those damned things!”

With a grimace, Frank launched three fireballs in rapid succession. The first two missed, their flames dissipating harmlessly against the rock walls, but the third found its mark. The explosion engulfed one of the creatures, and the flames quickly spread to the others.

Cruz seized the opportunity, spinning around and releasing an enormous arrow from his war bow. The javelin-like projectile struck one of the fleeing monsters with a sickening crunch. The rest retreated back into the tunnel, their shrieks echoing in the darkness.

Relieved, Owen turned back to the staircase. As they descended, he couldn’t help but look down. Hidden within the canyon below was a sprawling city of beige stone. Buildings of various shapes and sizes clustered together, but one structure stood out: a massive tower at the city’s centre. It rose high above the surrounding structures, its thick base tapering to a sharp point nearly five hundred metres above the ground.

Owen’s breath hitched as he noticed movement within the city. Stone golems—at least a dozen, perhaps more—roamed the streets, their massive forms weaving through the narrow alleys. They peered into windows and scanned the roads, searching for something—or someone.

“It’s a hidden city,” Owen murmured. His stomach tightened as he realised their destination lay directly within the golems’ domain. Darkness loomed ahead, heavier than before.