"Ugh..."
"Ouch... my head."
"Have we all been captured?"
"It seems so."
People groaned and opened their eyes.
They were all demons with red eyes.
They woke up from unconsciousness without knowing the reason and looked around.
"Where the heck is this...?"
"Does anyone remember anything?"
"I'm not sure. My last memory is discussing the heretical methods with fellow demons..."
Then, a chubby man dressed as a merchant clapped his hands and spoke.
"Ah, I have a memory! Someone who's not one of us intruded on our gathering."
"It reminds me of something. She definitely said referred to herself as..."
"Brosa!"
"Yeah, Brosa! She said Brosa and then I don't remember anything after that."
They tried to put together the fragments of their memories, but nothing more came out.
Everyone who was captured was in the same situation.
In the end, the only hope was to find something in this dark space.
"Shouldn't someone try using “Dark Vision” to check the surroundings?"
"I'd like to, but my mana isn't recovering."
"It seems like these things filled in our hands are magic restraints."
Their hands were tied behind their backs, and they were shackled so they couldn't even stand up.
In the end, they had no choice but to slowly adapt to the darkness.
After a while, they began to adapt to the darkness one by one.
What was not visible began to appear.
A cylindrical aquarium filled with green liquid, and bubbles floating up.
However, they broke when they encountered obstacles in the middle.
A werewolf, Lycanthrope, that goes berserk when the full moon comes.
It was half of the creature.
"A monster's corpse?"
"Here too!"
Next to the Lycanthrope were a Minotaur, an Orc, and a Dragonian...
Humanoids, quadrupeds, insects...
The corpses of monsters inhabiting the entire continent were kept in the green liquid, damaged.
"Nice to meet you."
A terrifying voice rang clearly in their ears.
Their scattered gazes focused forward.
A girl was looking down at them with her legs crossed in the darkness they couldn't see.
A girl in a black gothic dress.
She had the face of a girl, but her face exuded a vicious aura that could not be called a girl.
The embodiment of evil that even malicious demons could not approach.
"Black Sky Tower Master...!"
Freesia Vulcan Darkrider.
As soon as the figure was revealed, the sinister hobby of preserving dead monsters was immediately understood.
"Did Brosa hand us over to you...?"
"There's no way. I am Brosa."
"Black Sky Tower Master...?"
"Wait a minute... there's no way..."
"It seems that even the arrogant demon could not detect my magic."
Snap!
As soon as she snapped her fingers, a black shadow wrapped around her body.
Then Freesia appeared out of nowhere, and Brosa appeared as well.
As the demons watched Freesia and Brosa go back and forth, they finally realized that the two were the same person.
They could see how powerful her perception-blocking magic was.
But why reveal this to them?
"Do you know why I'm telling you this?"
Freesia asked smoothly as if she sensed their doubts.
When no one opened their mouths, Freesia answered.
"Because I have no intention of letting you live."
A sinister current flowed, enveloping their bodies.
"You intend to torture us..."
"Torture? Oh, right. I heard that other tower lords are searching for demons mixed among humans these days?"
Freesia showed a gesture of disinterest, digging her ears.
"That's just a side job."
"Then what...?"
"Helios told me that not saying a word is your specialty, right?"
"......"
"He said you guys are like disgusting and tough cockroaches. Oh, of course, he used a more diplomatic expression because he's a bastard, but if I said it, I would have said it like that."
Freesia smiled.
"I suddenly got curious. Aren't you curious too?"
Freesia stood up from her chair.
The chair she had been sitting on melted away into the shadows.
Freesia grabbed the chin of the demon sitting in the front row with her thumb and index finger.
The demon's body froze.
It's not magic.
Her existence itself touched their instincts.
"I wonder how long you can endure in my hands without opening your mouths."
She was a master of black magic.
She studied necromancy and human suffering, and was the top authority in that field.
Those who caught her eye could never live a sane life.
A terrible and capricious real demon.
"Don't worry. After I severely damage one or two of you, I'll know how much to adjust."
A smile was drawn by the undying grudge that created madness.
A pair of eyes shone a dark red.
"Who should I start with?"
***
The Silence Tower, the Orc alliance Barchan, located inside the Kalton Mountain Range.
There, they were investigating various monsters and ecosystems and accumulating the necessary information for the Silence Tower.
It was a place that would bring good news to Reed.
"Through continuous comparison and observation, we have finally found a 100% matching flower."
There, Reed could obtain the information he had been waiting for.
"Is it a plant that only grows in the Kalton Mountains?"
"Not really. However, it's a flower that can't be seen where the Alte Sect is. Here it is."
The flower they showed him was one Reed knew well.
The red petals were curled back, and the stamens spread out like spider legs.
"It's a stone garlic."
Otherwise known as a flower fern, and to some, a blood peace flower.
When dried and mixed, it looked similar to black tea in color and shape, making it difficult to distinguish unless closely observed.
"Are you sure the same ingredient is in the stone garlic?"
"Yes, the ingredient in it was the one that stimulates the demon race, as you mentioned."
They had found a way to detect demons.
"But there's a little problem. The petals are poisonous."
"To what extent?"
"It takes a large amount to be effective, but it's a poison that can be life-threatening."
"Can it not be brewed and drunk as tea?"
"That should be possible. It might be a bit dangerous for the elderly or children, though."
It seemed like there would be a hitch in the plan, but fortunately, they could continue.
"Then grow as much as you can. Recover as many seeds as possible, and search the Kalton Mountains with the intention of eradicating all stone garlic."
"Yes, sir!"
The magicians prepared for further exploration with determined faces.
Helping and supporting them were orc warriors.
As they frequented the Kalton Mountains like their own territory, they were able to provide solid support.
Reed began exploring the interior of the Kalton Mountains with elite orcs who had engraved their wounds like medals on their chests.
Reed loaded half of the collected stone garlic onto a sky carriage.
"Are you leaving, brother?"
The leader of the Orc alliance, Larksper, asked.
He was dressed in fancy clothes as the chief of the orc alliance, but his barbaric nature could not be erased.
"I can't stay long because I'm quite busy right now."
"That's too bad. I just caught a Roahog and was going to share it together."
"Invite me later. I'll come anytime. And thank you for helping the magicians, Larksper."
"I'll help my brother whenever he asks."
Raksper lightly punched his chest.
"I wish the Tower Lord of Wallinwould return. I don't like the current Tower Lord."
Reed's lips twitched as he found a common ground with Raksper.
"What's going on?"
"The current Tower Lord claims to be Balton as well. He says that since he became the Tower Lord, he inherited Balton."
"Is it hereditary...? It's a familiar matter for humans."
"That's not the end of it. He tries to control the orcs. He tries to suppress our orcs' movements."
"That must be... related to the Grancia Kingdom."
The Grancia Kingdom had long dreamed of conquering the Kalton Mountains.
Since the arm bends inward, contributing to the Grancia Kingdom, where his blood is connected, would be more important than the orcs.
If Ludis becomes the Tower Lord as it is, friction with the orcs will inevitably occur.
"The one who earned our trust is the other Tower Lord of Wallin. The current Tower Lord is despicable. He is not a leader."
"Was Dolores hot-tempered?"
"The Tower Lord of Wallin, she is strong. And she understands all orcs. She is the fairest."
"She is fair, indeed."
Reed laughed.
"You are my benefactor. The Tower Lord of Wallin is also a benefactor. And my teacher is a benefactor to me. My benefactor and the benefactor of the tribe. She allowed us orcs to live."
Raksper placed his hand on Reed's shoulder.
"That's why I help my brother. Even if I stand at the end of hell, I'll help you to the end."
"Thank you, Larksper."
Reed was happy.
The seeds of goodwill he had sown were not in vain.
Reed felt hope knowing that there was still someone on Dolores' side.
