Chapter 203 Chapter 203. The Coming Siege

“You fucking idiot! I told you to act like a proper guard, but you went and acted like some lowlife bandit. Are you trying to blow our cover!?”

“Relax~ It would've been a hell of a lot more suspicious if we acted like proper guards around some adventurer traveling with a harem of smoking-hot women. Come on, be honest. You'd want a turn too once we’ve captured them, wouldn't you?”

“You absolute moron. It took us 30 years to earn these positions, and you're willing to throw it all away just to get your dick wet? If you're that desperate, go to a brothel like everyone else.”

“Brothels are boring. The girls fake everything, and if you want anything rougher than a slap, they charge extra. Half the time they don't even offer that kind of service in these backwater kingdoms.”

The pair of guards continued arguing as they made their way through the labyrinth, carrying a lantern that exuded Dark magic. Shadows naturally coiled around them, concealing their presence as they navigated the monster-infested corridors. Every so often, they slipped into the Shadow World, drastically shortening their journey and allowing them to reach the safe room within a single hour.

They reported the successful completion of their mission to their captain, and as expected, Bastion and the girls' room were moved to the bottom of the priority list. That meant it would likely take at least half a year before anyone came looking for them. By then, if they somehow disappeared, every trace of their existence would be long gone. Not even a time mage could recover evidence that old within the dungeon.

Once they surrendered the lantern, they were dismissed and their shift ended. The pair then made their way to a specific section of the safe room. It was a private residence owned by a prominent group of adventuring parties whose occupation was to regularly clear out the labyrinth itself rather than hunt within rooms that offered more consistent rewards.

The area was a series of tents, each roughly 10 feet tall, arranged like a small encampment. The pair walked toward the largest tent at the back and entered, finding a luxurious mansion hidden within such a small external space. They passed through the grand entrance hall before arriving at a meeting room, where a burly man with a powerful physique sat at the head of a long table. Three others sat alongside him, each radiating the strength of a Rank 3 individual.

“How did it go?” the boss asked.

“It’s just a Rank 2 merchant caravan, but they’ve got guns and golems for defense,” the first guard reported.

“They’ve got some pretty hot women too,” the second guard added with a lecherous sneer.

The woman sitting beside the boss with long purple hair and a mage robe immediately looked up with interest.

“Guns and golems?” she asked. “What rank are they? How many are there? If they’re being used on this floor, they can’t be ordinary golems.”

“Rank 2 guns. Apprentice Rank golems acting as controllers. Roughly a dozen in total, from what I saw.”

“Tch. They’re weak, then.”

“Alright,” the boss said, leaning back in his chair. “Alison, you take this one.”

“Fine,” the woman accepted.

“I’d recommend sending another party,” the first guard warned. “They may only be Rank 2, but they’re carrying Rank 2 firearms and aren’t afraid to live in a Rank 3 room. That means they’re probably strong enough to use them properly.”

“Brat,” Alison snapped, glaring at him. “Are you implying I can’t handle a bunch of Rank 2s?”

“Take the loudmouth with you, then,” the boss said calmly.

Alison’s expression immediately soured as she turned to the blonde man beside her, who was dressed in a bard’s brightly colored, flamboyant attire.

“It would be my pleasure to escort the lovely Lady Alison,” the man said with a charming smile.

“Do I have to?” Alison asked, looking at the boss with a pleading expression. “You know I hate dealing with this idiot.”

“It’s your choice,” the boss replied with a shrug. “Just don’t blame me if you end up riddled with holes.”

“Alright, alright. Fine,” Alison conceded.

Before anyone could continue, the shadows in the room started flickering.

“He’s been marked,” the man directly across from Alison said.

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“That’s as far as I got, Master,” Elyra reported.

“Good job, Ely,” Bastion said, reaching up to pat her head, which she relished with a happy smile and a soft nuzzle. “As you’ve heard, we’d better increase our defenses and be ready to be attacked at any time. Although, since they discovered Elyra’s Shadow Mark, they’ll likely increase the number of parties they’ll send against us.”

Seraphina sighed. “I’ll go make some Rank 3 potions then.”

“And I’ll include even more traps,” Lilia added.

“Is that going to be enough?” Ariel asked with concern. “They have a bunch of Rank 3s, and each of them has a party of their own. They outnumber us, and they know about our guns and golems. This doesn’t seem like it’s going to be an easy win like Ravok. I mean, we were almost torn apart in the Jungle’s Claws.”

“It’ll be fine,” Bastion consoled. “They only saw a dozen golems, so imagine their faces when they’re faced with over a hundred autocannons.”

“Well… I guess we can probably at least stave them off.”

“We’ll do more than that, trust me.”

“Okay,” Ariel replied, though a hint of worry remained.

Bastion smiled as he stood and made his way over to Ariel. Leaning down behind her mushroom chair, he planted a kiss on her cheek. She turned her head and met his next peck with her lips, enjoying the brief, comforting moment of affection. When they parted, Bastion straightened and turned to the others.

“Let’s go. We have a lot to do before our guests arrive.”

And so the group quickly went to work.

Seraphina fought back tears as she tossed the rare Rank 3 ingredients she had been saving into her cauldron, along with carefully selected monster drops from the Burning Wastes. Batch after batch, she brewed Rank 3 potions with varied effects, hoping to catch their opponents off guard.

Lilia reinforced the defenses, but instead of scattering traps around the camp, she concentrated them around the room's entrance. Beyond the labyrinth's long corridor lay a wide stretch of red ground that would serve as the perfect kill box. She also coordinated closely with Bastion, who was responsible for the autocannons and golems.

Bastion activated every golem core he possessed, filling each one with mana while programming distinct combat patterns. Some prioritized pinpoint accuracy. Others predicted enemy movement and adjusted their aim accordingly. A few deliberately targeted only the rear of advancing enemies, preventing them from simply lining up and charging forward. Together, they formed a comprehensive targeting network designed to sow absolute chaos.

As for his Corruption attribute, it posed no issue. The golem cores were engraved, so the type of mana used to power them was irrelevant. As long as the mana didn't damage the engraved material, they functioned perfectly.

He didn't stop there. Bastion also deployed stationary Rank 2 autocannons programmed to sweep from side to side, rake from top to bottom, or fire continuously down a single lane. The goal was to fill the narrow labyrinth corridor with as many flying bullets as possible.

With nothing else to do after learning the plan, Ariel began gathering exposed resources throughout the Burning Wastes and delivered them to Seraphina, who turned them into bombs.

Finally, Elyra kept constant watch over the labyrinth through her shadow clones, ensuring they would know the moment their enemies entered.

By the end of the day, their preparations were complete, and all that remained was to wait.

A week passed in this tense state, robbing the entire group of proper sleep. Not that it mattered, as their constitutions easily allowed them to endure it. Unfortunately, their patience wasn’t as accommodating.

“Where the fuck are they!?” Lilia shouted. “The monsters have already started respawing, so why aren’t they here yet? Did they chicken out because of Elyra’s Shadow Mark?”

“It’s the lantern,” Elyra answered as she poured Lilia a cup of tea. “The lantern the guards were carrying allows for fast, guided travel through the labyrinth, letting them reach the safe room within an hour. It took us a week to get here even at Rank 3 speed, so they’ll likely take about the same amount of time. That is, assuming they don’t have other preparations slowing them down.”

“It’s fine,” Seraphina said. “It’ll give us more time to deal with the respawning monsters. Honestly, it might be better if they arrive a few more days later. I’ll have even more potions ready by then.”

“I’m not a workaholic like you,” Lilia complained. “I need my beauty sleep.”

“Do you want to take a beauty potion?”

“...Maybe later.”

Explosions echoed in the distance near the closest volcano, immediately drawing the three girls’ attention. Bastion and Ariel were clearing out the monsters as quickly as they respawned, ensuring they wouldn’t become overwhelmed.

An hour later, the pair returned and swapped places with Lilia and Seraphina, allowing them to hunt and gain levels as well. Lilia relied on her perfect accuracy Ice magic, which was the strongest element in the room, while Seraphina used her grimoire to cast Ice spells, gradually transforming the Burning Wastes into a frozen landscape of ice and frost.

As for Elyra, she didn’t need to hunt since Bastion was already doing it for both of them. Their shared levels allowed her to continue leveling without taking her turn.

By the end of the day, their group had completely cleared out all the monsters in the Burning Wastes. This time, there were no complications that led to another stampede. It was far easier, far safer, and most importantly, far more efficient. As they became more accustomed to the routine, their efficiency would only continue to improve over the next century.

For now, however, they had a much bigger problem to deal with.

“Master, they’re here,” Elyra said with pitch black eyes that exuded Dark mana.

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