Floor 1　Eldus Abduction Plan

Cang Bi brought Astrid back to Leonard and told him everything he learnt from Ninhursag.

 

Leonard: What! I can’t believe those bastards did this to us!

Cang Bi: Before we make any moves, we must erase the spells implanted inside you. Nothing will work if we don’t.

Astrid: But how?

Cang Bi: Well...I don’t know either...

Leonard: If we can’t, why don’t we find someone who can?

Astrid: Leonard...Do you mean...

Cang Bi: What are you two talking about?

Leonard: I’m thinking about kidnapping the man who created us, and making him erase the spell.

Cang Bi: ...Huh?

 

Inside a spacious room, Kingu the Eldus was observing the creature in the spell circle. Meanwhile, someone knocked on his door.

 

???: Excuse me, Sir Kingu.

Kingu: Come in.

 

Leonard entered the room as he opened the door. When he bowed to Kingu, the Eldus squinted to scan him with a finger pointed at him.

 

Kingu: You’re...Lany from the combat division——

Leonard: ...It’s Leonard, Sir Kingu.

Kingu: Oh right. I’m sorry.

Leonard: “He’s weird as usual. Unlike those cocky Eldus, he’s the only one who would apologize to earthlings...Nevermind. It’s meaningless to think about that. Gotta stick to the plan.”

Leonard: Sir Kingu, Lady Enlil has something to discuss with you. Please come with me.

Kingu: Enlil? Strange. Didn’t she just come over? What does she need from me?

Leonard: Forgive me, sir. Lady Enlil didn’t tell me.

Kingu: ...Hmm. Sigh, alright. Please lead the way.

 

Kingu deactivated the spell and left the room with Leonard after grooming himself. Meanwhile, the nervous Leonard kept sweating in his palms although he had been acting perfectly natural.

 

Leonard: “Phew...That was close...Alright. Step one is done.”

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Floor 2　Cooperation between Runedragon & Earthlings

Leonard led Kingu out of the Eldus’s base into a remote forest. As they went further, the laid-back Kingu started feeling suspicious.

 

Kingu: Hey, Lamer, are we going to the right place?

Leonard: ...It’s Leonard, Sir Kingu. Lady Enlil is right over there.

 

However, it was a black-haired man expecting them.

 

Kingu: Hey hey hey, I didn’t know that Enlil is a man.

Cang Bi: You’re Kingu, the Eldus who creates earthlings, right?

Kingu: So this is Leonard’s trap. That’s too naughty of you. I gotta teach you a lesson.

 

With a spell activated, Kingu flicked his finger to launch an air blade at Leonard——

 

An enormous figure stood in front of Leonard to shield him. Kingu’s attack didn’t even make a scratch on it.

 

Cang Bi: Your attacks won’t work on me. Surrender yourself if you don’t wanna get hurt.

Kingu: You’re...a Runedragon...Ugh, this is annoying. I’m not good at combat spells, and I stand no chance in winning this fight at all. Alright then, I’ll surrender.

 

Without any hesitation, Kingu sat down and raised his hand above his head. His quick surrender had confused Leonard.

 

Leonard: Just...tell us the way to erase the fear-controlling programme in us.

Kingu: Huh? How did you know...Oh. So it was you guys who trespassed the prison. That’s how you got the info from Ninhursag.

Cang Bi: Cut to the chase. Tell us or we’ll beat it out from you!

Kingu: It’s not that I don’t wanna help you. Frankly, I don’t like the current situation here. Too boring to see the Eldus overpower the earthlings.

Leonard: You’re...really a weirdo!

Kingu: Ha, I’ll take that as a compliment. Anyway, I’m not your enemy. Plus Enlil never puts her trust in me, so she has already altered the programme. Now even I don’t know how to erase it.

Cang Bi: Humph! That malicious woman...What should we do now? We can’t just let him go since he has already found your secret.

Leonard: Well…

 

While Leonard was in the middle of hesitation, someone hurried over.

Astrid: L-Leonard, something bad happened. Elpis...is getting executed!

Leonard: What? Elpis is the strongest combatant and Sir Enkidu’s favorite. Why would…

Cang Bi: Just go back first!

Astrid: What about this guy?

???: Leave him to me.

Leonard: Ah! Za…

 

Before Leonard could complete the sentence, Zack had already sneaked up on Kingu and knocked him out.

 

Zack: Just go. I’ll keep my eyes on him here.

Leonard: I’m counting on you then!

​

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Floor 3　Tormented by Fear

On a broad square in the Eldus’s base, an earthling girl named Elpis was tied up to a stake at the center podium. Meanwhile, all the summoned earthlings were confused by what was happening here.

 

At this moment, Enlil the Eldus ascended to the podium. She looked at all the other earthlings with a lovely smile.

 

Enlil: Good afternoon everyone. The purpose of this assembly here is to tell you that a bad child is hiding among you.

 

Enlil consolidated the red mana into a blade, cutting Elpis’s clothes open. A swollen belly was revealed under her clothes, which represented a growing life inside her.

 

Enlil: Combatant Elpis broke the rules and had forbidden interactions with another. The life growing inside her is the evidence. And I’ll show you all the consequences of a bad child.

 

Turning back to Elpis, Enlil tilted her chin and whispered with her signature sweet smile, as if a condemned whisper from the devil.

 

Enlil: Come on, my dear Elpis. Tell me who is the father of this child and make me less angry.

Elpis: ...

 

Elpis, remaining silent, stared at Enlil with her pure and innocent eyes. But her innocence enraged Enlil, who grasped her face brutally and leant over.

 

Enlil: Don’t think that you can defy me. At my “order”, answer my question.

Elpis: Mmm...AHH——

 

Enlil’s word triggered the fear-controlling programme implanted in Elpis. In just a split second, Elpis was occupied by a mind-shattering fear. In her eyes, Enlil was a horrifying existence that could crush her anytime. Everything was witnessed by two men and a girl who just arrived at the square.

 

Astrid: Elpis!

Cang Bi: She’ll be crushed if this goes on!

Leonard: We have no choice. It’s gonna expose us, but we can’t let her die on our watch!

 

Running into the crowd, Leonard, Cang Bi and Astrid signalled dozens earthlings to take action while Enlil was focusing on Elpis. Yet their moves were all stopped by Enlil’s word——

 

Enlil: At my “order”, all earthlings remain still.

Leonard: This...Mmm!

Astrid: Ah!

Cang Bi: Leonard! Astrid!

 

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Floor 4　Not on My Watch

​

 

Cang Bi tried to lift Leonard up, but he was tripped by the weight. Meanwhile, Leonard was already terrified to  tremble on the ground speechlessly. Without noticing the sane Cang bi, Enlil kept her eyes on Elpis.

 

Enlil: There’s no way that I would let you ruin my plan...Come on, Elpis. Tell me.

Elpis: I...I...I won’t...tell you...even if the fear will kill me!

 

Enlil smiled again, but it wasn’t sweet and lovely anymore. With a wicked and ominous grin, she pointed a blade made of Minerelf at Elpis.

 

Enlil: Then die together with the life inside you.

Cang Bi: “No! Not on my watch!”

 

Cang Bi summoned his power to switch into the dragon form, allowing it to pick Elpis up with its mouth.

 

Enlil: Runedragon...Humph! You aren’t going anywhere!

 

As Enlil signalled, dozens of Eldus rushed to the scene. Before they could cast spells, they were interrupted by the earthlings at the square——Leonard, Astrid and the other earthlings who shared the same faith.

 

Leonard: Run! Don’t worry about us! Take Elpis and leave!

 

Looking back at Leonard, Cang Bi knew that he was right.

 

Cang Bi: “I’ll come back and save you all! So don’t give up!”

Leonard: “Don’t underestimate us! We won’t bend so easily!”

 

Leonard smiled confidently at Cang Bi. Even though they couldn’t communicate verbally, their bonding was strong enough to understand each other’s thoughts. Then Cang Bi put the heartache aside and flew towards the exit.

 

Enlil: Leonard, I can’t believe that you’ve betrayed us.

Leonard: ...I just recognized the fact that you Eldus were no noble at all.

Enlil: ...Is that so? You’re still naive as always. I guess it’s time for me to teach you a proper lesson.