The 'Extra' Lord (Unlimited Plunder) - Chapter 78

Owen ignored it for now. What he was doing was risky; risking his life for a few extra credits. But there was something inside that couldn’t be obtained with just raw currency.

Coming to the protected stone door, Owen paused. It was protected by various traps and enchantments. If he was to brute force it down now, he didn’t want to imagine what would happen to him. Maybe his current Vitality would resist the magic… but that wasn’t something he was willing to risk. He had to remain in tip top condition if he wanted to get away from the troll.

So it was a good thing that he had prepared for this.

Owen brought out a potion he had bought just yesterday from his storage. It was a purple liquid that looked like it had mercury flowing within. Washing the shimmering liquid was almost hypnotic. Owen shook his head, then uncorked the bottle, and splashed the door, hinges and all, with the liquid.

The door sizzled, and a smell of burning rock consumed the underground basement. He saw the enchantments in full, twisting, and swirling all over the doorway. They shattered, the mana evaporating in the air. 

Only when that was done, did Owen kick open the door, revealing a spacious room packed with various alchemical supplies. Owen rushed into the room, still feeling the oncoming steps of the giant troll. He stored everything he touched, from beakers, to other science equipment.

He stopped in front of a furnace. It radiated and pulsed mana. Even Owen, who wasn’t a mage, felt its intensity. He touched it, and with a thought, all of its Runes appeared in his mind.

[Everbloom Cauldron]

| Tier: Champion

| Type: Alchemical Furnace

| Description: The Everbloom Cauldron is an elite-grade furnace, meticulously crafted by the Sable Artisans to aid in the production of complex elixirs and potent drugs. Made from enchanted obsidian and infused with perpetual flame essence, it ensures precise temperature control and efficient fusion of rare ingredients. This cauldron boasts a unique catalytic chamber that amplifies the potency of any concoction, making it highly sought after by master alchemists and covert operations.

| Runes: Ember Consistency, Alkahest Flow, Catalyst Amplifier

Ember Consistency: This rune maintains an unwavering, stable heat throughout the furnace, crucial for crafting drugs with precision. It ensures that temperature fluctuations do not occur, preventing the degradation of sensitive ingredients.

Alkahest Flow: This rune enhances the fluid dynamics within the cauldron, ensuring seamless integration and perfect dissolution of complex substances. It optimises the reaction rate, allowing ingredients to blend uniformly and boosting the efficacy of each batch.

Catalyst Amplifier: This rune magnifies the effects of catalytic agents added during the crafting process. It unlocks hidden potential within components, enhancing the potency of the resulting drug or elixir and often yielding a higher-grade product than usual.

It wasn’t a Fragment, so he couldn’t store it within his soul, nor could he evolve it in any way. It would forever remain at the Champion rank… But it was the first Champion ranked item he had received. Happy, Owen stored it.

Something of such high quality could never be bought from the market. Well, that was a lie. There were times when some people would place something on the market not having any idea of what it was worth. Maybe it was something that had little use now, so they wanted to get rid of it. Something like the enchantment destruction potion Owen had bought and used.

However, Ansel had already claimed most of them. 

The giant troll was close now. Its steps thundered overhead, shaking the earth as if the world itself trembled in fear. Owen even heard it breathe—a guttural, rhythmic sound that rumbled like a storm, even though he was still beneath the sand. Owen grimaced. Getting out wasn’t going to be easy.

Despite what most believed, trolls were fast. The troll's lumbering gait was a ruse—a calculated deception to lure prey into a false sense of security. It moved with the lethal agility of a predator when it sensed a true chase, and Owen knew this was no different. Every instinct screamed that this monster was no mindless brute. It was cunning, capable of setting traps and playing with its prey before the kill.

But Owen wouldn’t be the fool caught in its game.

Emerging from his subterranean cover, he darted from the castle’s flank, choosing the right side where the crumbled battlements cast long, jagged shadows. He cast a dust cloud around himself, an arcane shroud of swirling grit and wind that he hoped would blend seamlessly with the chaotic desert winds. For a fleeting moment, he thought it worked. The troll’s towering form hesitated, its eyes narrowing as it scanned the horizon.

Then, a roar split the silence, a sound so powerful it sent shivers down his spine and kicked his danger sense into overdrive.

“Damn it!” Owen spat as he bolted. A fraction of a second later, a massive chunk of stone, hurled with uncanny precision, slammed into the sand where he had just stood. The impact was like a meteor strike, erupting in a geyser of sand and shattered rock that clawed at his exposed skin. He felt the burn of grit slicing his cheek but didn’t dare slow down.

If I get hit, it’s over.

The troll’s eyes, deep-set and burning with primal fury, locked onto him again. Owen pumped his legs harder, the muscles straining under the relentless pace. He veered left suddenly, a sharp pivot that made his knees scream in protest. Behind him, another boulder slammed down, tearing open the desert floor and leaving a crater that swallowed the sun’s light in a yawning, dark maw.

Thinking fast, Owen kicked up a fresh wave of sand, shaping it into a spinning vortex with a snap of his fingers. It coiled upward like a living wall, blocking the troll’s line of sight. But Owen knew it would last only a heartbeat.

He sprinted, each step a test of balance and reflex as the sand shifted treacherously underfoot. The desert was an unforgiving arena, its heat searing, the wind dragging at him like greedy hands. He could feel the troll’s breath, hot and sour on the back of his neck, as it pushed closer, smashing aside the vortex with a swing of its tree-sized arm.

Owen dropped to a slide, barely dodging a backhand swipe that passed so close above him, he felt the displaced air crackle with latent force. Rolling out of the slide, he came up running, eyes scanning frantically for any sort of terrain that might give him an edge. Just a sliver of hope.

He spotted a jagged outcrop of rock half-buried in the dunes, a natural cover that might buy him a precious second. With a burst of speed that made his heart feel like it would burst, Owen dove behind it as the ground shook again. This time, the troll’s attack sent a shockwave that cracked the rock face and sent a plume of sand cascading over him.

Panting, Owen focused his mind, drawing on his connection with the sand beneath him. He sent threads of his power deep into the earth, conjuring a second dust cloud—this one thicker, denser, infused with tiny shards of stone that could sting the troll’s eyes and slow it down.

The troll roared again, its voice carrying frustration now, the first sign of impatience. Owen's eyes gleamed with grim determination. If he could keep it at bay just a little longer, if he could reach the craggy hills that jutted from the earth, he stood a chance.

He launched forward, weaving through the shifting sands like a phantom, every nerve in his body taut, every movement honed by the knowledge that a single misstep meant instant death. The troll lunged, its shadow swallowing Owen whole, but at the last moment, he twisted, dropping low as the monstrous hand crashed down behind him.

Dust and sand exploded into the sky, but Owen was already moving, his breath ragged. Then, he stopped. With a practised motion, he allowed the sand to envelop him completely, cutting off every trace of his presence. The world seemed to hold its breath.

The troll raged, swinging its gargantuan club in wide, furious arcs. Each strike thundered through the desert, shaking the ground with enough force to splinter rock and crack the earth. Owen could feel every impact deep in his bones, each one a reminder of how close death loomed. He clenched his jaw, hoping to any god who might be listening that the monster would tire before it discovered him.

By some divine stroke of luck, the beast’s rage yielded no prey. Sand Camouflage cloaked him, blending him seamlessly with the shifting dunes. After a series of frustrated, guttural roars, the troll hesitated. It sniffed the air, eyes squinting with raw irritation, before turning back toward the mountain pass. The tremors of its retreating footsteps echoed for long moments, each one a little softer than the last.

Owen didn’t dare move until silence reigned once more. Slowly, he rose, the sand cascading off his body in delicate streams. His breath left him in a shaky, half-mad chuckle as tension ebbed away. Watching the monstrous silhouette lumber up the jagged pass, he allowed a brief grin to crack his dust-covered face.

A groan escaped him as he turned, muscles protesting from the strain. There, half-hidden among the rocky outcrops, his team emerged one by one, eyes wide with shared relief. Owen nodded, a silent signal passing between them.

It was time to head back home.