Chapter 43: The Drunken Guardian and the Golden Contract

Upon first seeing the utterly devastated castle, Larkin, Samuel, Theodore, and Alicia all felt a surge of panic.

Yet, the thought of the being they sought quickly quelled their apprehension.

Aesop, however, was plunged into utter despair.

It was painfully clear that his companions—those he intended to ‘pot’ later—could not have possibly survived such a terrifying blaze.

“Hiccup.” The Black-Robed Gatekeeper, clearly unconcerned by any of this, simply yearned to use his hidden stash to buy more wine.

“Go! Charge!” He attempted to stand several times, only to stumble and fall to the ground after barely two steps.

Theodore watched him with an exasperated sigh, then reluctantly hoisted him onto his back.

Larkin questioned, surprised, “You intend to bring it along? The intelligence I purchased never mentioned a guardian monster wandering into other levels. He’s likely spouting nonsense.”

Theodore explained, “But what he says doesn’t sound entirely false. Furthermore, we know absolutely nothing about the hundredth level. Even a tiny piece of information from him would be invaluable to us. We can’t just blunder around like Ironhead Rats, can we? Besides, he’s too drunk to pose any threat.”

Larkin glanced at the Black-Robed Gatekeeper, forced to admit that Theodore had a valid point.

Thus, their team gained another member: a drunken guardian from the ninety-ninth level, clad in black robes.

****

Upon stepping into the castle, a new problem immediately arose: direction.

The raging fire had utterly destroyed the entire structure, scorching it black and completely obscuring any traces left by Theresia and her group.

Samuel had just expended a significant amount of magic to create numerous magical serpents, making it impossible for him to conjure a second batch of smaller snakes in such a short time.

The immense castle was a labyrinth of long corridors, countless rooms, and staircases leading both up and down.

The Black-Robed Gatekeeper, still slung over Theodore’s back, incessantly clamored about going to his hidden treasure trove on the hundredth level.

Having no immediate objective, Theodore and the others decided to follow his drunken guidance toward this concealed vault.

After all, for members of an expedition party, the treasures within a labyrinth held immense appeal.

Larkin, ever the optimist, declared, “Perhaps the expedition team led by the Most Wicked Dragon has already successfully cleared the level and is now dividing the spoils in that hidden room.”

Not a single member present had joined for the glory of conquering the hundredth level or for the labyrinth’s gold and jewels; each harbored their own ulterior motives.

It was simply that the Most Wicked Dragon’s team hadn’t yet been encountered, preventing any conflicts from erupting.

Oh, no, one had already erupted, though its brilliance lasted only a fleeting moment. Now, it was nothing more than a dormant volcano.

Aesop was currently a mere shell, a s*ave to his contract.

However, at that very moment, the Black-Robed Gatekeeper on Theodore’s back erupted in a triumphant, grotesque laugh: “Impossible! Absolutely impossible! Hahahaha! Hiccup!”

The jarring sound made Theodore’s ears ache, but he was more concerned with something else entirely: the Black-Robed Gatekeeper’s unwavering certainty that Theresia had not passed the level implied he possessed crucial information about the hundredth floor!

This was a valuable find, a potential bargaining chip to ‘discipline’ a certain disobedient black dragon.

He swiftly cut off Larkin’s impending retort and instead inquired, “Why do you say that? The expedition team led by the Most Wicked Dragon consists of Montoyer’s most elite members, you know.”

“Hahahahaha!”

Upon hearing this, the Black-Robed Gatekeeper laughed so hard he nearly choked.

“Elite my ass, hahahaha! What good is being elite when the conditions for clearing the hundredth level aren’t even on the hundredth level? They could inspect every single brick on that floor, and it wouldn’t do them any good! Ya hahahahaha!”

Theodore halted, a sudden realization dawning upon him.

“Then where are the conditions for clearing the hundredth level? I suddenly remember I still have a glass of wine left.”

“Huh? Really?! Shh, I’ll tell you a secret, but don’t tell anyone else.” The heavily intoxicated Black-Robed Gatekeeper was utterly witless. What he claimed was a secret was shouted loud enough for anyone present to hear: “It’s me! Hahaha, how about that? Am I amazing or what?”

“This old man already figured out this labyrinth’s trickery. They thought they could trap the great Lord Promen? I used a little trick early on to slip down to the ninety-ninth level, devoured the true guardian of the ninety-ninth level, and then took his place guarding it.”

“I laugh at that Most Wicked Dragon’s foolishness! She passed through the ninety-ninth level three times, completely oblivious that the guardian of the hundredth level was leisurely collecting her toll right in front of her! Hahahahaha! It’s hilarious! She even fought my magically created puppet in the place I originally occupied! What good is a foul mouth? Pass the level, if you have the guts, you small fry! All of you are small fry!”

The Black-Robed Gatekeeper was completely oblivious to the shift in Theodore and the others’ gazes. In his drunken stupor, he even self-importantly told Theodore, “Right, this is just between us for a trade. Don’t tell anyone else, especially that Most Wicked Dragon. Now, quickly, hand over the wine.”

“Of course,” Theodore replied, “But as you know, our time together has been too brief to establish a trusting relationship. So, we’ll need a contract to ensure the truthfulness of your words.”

As he spoke, Theodore subtly produced a shimmering golden contract. Samuel’s eyes widened at the sight of it, and he smiled, saying, “I have other contracts here, equally effective. How about I trade you? You can even ask for other conditions.”

“Thanks, but no need.” Theodore thought, ‘Alright, someone recognizes its value.’

He shot Samuel a quick glance. This contract had been given to him by the Old Patriarch, a covenant witnessed by the Dragon God herself.

Guess who this contract was originally intended for.

However, Theodore found it a bit extreme, but it was always wise to keep such a valuable item.

Theodore’s intuition told him this guardian monster was far from simple. From what he’d observed, it had clearly survived in more than just this labyrinth; it might even have encountered deities.

Therefore, this particular contract offered greater security.

The terms of the contract were already set, and Theodore’s name was listed as the beneficiary. All that remained was to find a victim.

“Hahaha, a contract? Fine, fine, if you think it will put your mind at ease, I’ll sign it.” The unsuspecting victim, seemingly disdainful of the contract, unhesitatingly scrawled his name while in his drunken state.

However, the Black-Robed Gatekeeper did not receive his wine. Instead, he was met with Theodore letting go, which resulted in him falling unceremoniously onto the ground.

“What are you doing! That hurt like hell! Where’s my wine?”

Theodore said nothing, instead producing a magical rope used to bind dragons. The other five also entered a combat stance, and with Theodore’s rallying cry, “Go, tie him up!”

Immediately, the five swarmed him, binding him into a tight bundle, much like a zongzi, amidst his furious curses.

Honestly, his insults were so vile that Aesop, after a moment’s thought, used the handkerchief Alicia had given him—the one covered in chili powder—to gag the monster.

Following this, the five individuals promptly convened a meeting.

Indeed, a meeting.

They had never imagined that the conditions for clearing the hundredth level would appear before them so effortlessly.

However, they weren’t interested in this particular achievement, nor did they wish to antagonize Theresia’s expedition team.

Therefore, to prevent unnecessary division within their own group, they needed to discuss how to handle the situation.

After all, with the exception of Aesop—no, in fact, including Aesop—they had all come specifically for Theresia’s expedition team.

The yellow flower plant the previous expedition team brought back had astonished Aesop when he discovered it. However, the team’s utterly inferior processing methods made him desperate to save his future ‘companions’ from the pot before they could be further harmed by the expedition team.

Of course, they were all reduced to ashes now, and the culprit was, without a doubt, Theresia’s expedition team.

Consequently, Aesop was now brimming with ambition.

“We can use this to threaten the Most Wicked Dragon’s team, forcing them to remain on the hundredth level until the yellow flowers grow again!”

Using the clearing conditions to command the Wicked Dragon?

Theodore mercilessly shattered Aesop’s fantasy: “Highly unlikely. From my understanding of the Most Wicked Dragon, she would be more inclined to eliminate us, along with the Black-Robed Gatekeeper, as part of the clearing conditions.”

Seemingly realizing the sheer stupidity of his suggestion, Aesop could only curse venomously, “Barbarian!”

This immediately drew Alicia’s attention. Clearly, Aesop still hadn’t grasped that Alicia’s animosity toward him wasn’t merely about a handkerchief.

Alicia slowly presented her idea: “I wish to obtain the Most Wicked Dragon’s bloodline.”

There were no opinions, only demands.

This was a very clever approach, avoiding unnecessary arguments from her side.

It was this very demand that astounded Theodore.

It seemed this lady was still unaware that the Most Wicked Dragon only had the potential to lay dragon eggs.

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