The midday sun baked the rooftops of Lioad City, creating shimmering heat waves that danced above the sandy streets. Inside one of the finest inn rooms Venti had rented, however, the air was pleasantly cool, thanks to micro-vortices of wind continuously spinning in the corners of the room.
Venti sat cross-legged on the plush bed, cradling his wooden lyre, Der Frühling. His fingers plucked the strings at random, producing a cheerful melody that wafted through the room. Across from him sat the armored giant, Zald, who was wiping down the blade of his greatsword in absolute silence.
A full day had passed since their first meeting at the tavern. According to calculations, today was the day the Elves were due to return.
Click.
The wooden door of the inn room swung open. Four cloaked figures stepped inside one after another, bringing with them the scent of dust, dry sand, and the residual blood of monsters.
Hedin Selland entered first, his posture perfectly upright despite the hem of his cloak being covered in ash stains. Hogni followed closely behind, yawning lazily, trailed by Dina and Vena, who looked slightly exhausted yet satisfied.
"We have returned, Lord Venti," Hedin said, giving a slight respectful bow as he pulled back his hood.
Venti stopped plucking his lyre and smiled broadly. "Welcome back! A tiring journey, wasn't it? What are the results of your investigation in the Dedine Desert?"
Hedin stepped forward to deliver his formal report, while Dina and Vena placed their supply bags on the corner of the table.
"Per your instructions, we scoured the border area all the way to the center of the Dedine Desert," Hedin explained, his voice crisp and efficient. "The area is purely a dead, barren wasteland. There are numerous mid-tier desert monsters and a few strange species that seem to have mutated from the residual miasma. Hogni and Vena took care of those blocking the path. Beyond that, however, we found no anomalies there, nor any suspicious activity."
Venti nodded in satisfaction. The report was exactly the confirmation he needed. "Good job. With this, we have officially and formally fulfilled the Orario Guild's investigation into the Calamity's remnants."
However, Venti noticed that the four Elves' focus was beginning to fracture.
Ever since they stepped inside, Hedin's coral eyes had not been on him, but were locked onto the figure in the corner of the room. Hogni, who had been drowsy, suddenly tensed up. His right hand instinctively crept toward the hilt of his sword, and his left eye began to emit a dangerous red glint. Behind them, Dina and Vena slowly took a step back, melting into defensive stances.
The four Elves were staring at Zald.
The former Zeus Familia executive didn't even bother to lift his head. He continued to wipe his sword blade, as if the presence of four high-level adventurers in the room was completely unworthy of caution. Yet, it was precisely that absolute serenity that made the Elves' instincts scream in alarm.
Hedin swallowed hard. As someone who had been bestowed with an anomalous elemental power by Venti, Hedin's sensitivity to energy had increased drastically. The overwhelming presence of the dark-faced, scarred giant in the corner felt incredibly dense, massive, and lethal.
Who is this man? Hedin thought, a drop of cold sweat rolling down his temple. The muscle density, the steady breathing, and the aura of blood wafting from him... If Miss Alfia is a magical catastrophe, then this man is the personification of a physical fortress of death. He must be the third strongest person I've ever met, right after Miss Alfia and Miss Aria.
"Lord Venti..." Hedin's voice dropped low, his magic staff shifting slightly to protect his god. "Who is this man? Why is there a stranger with an aura this powerful inside your room?"
Hearing the tension in the air, Venti burst into laughter. His crisp laugh shattered the hostile aura that had begun to thicken in the room. He hopped down from the bed and walked over to the center of the room.
"Ah, my bad, my bad! I forgot to introduce him to you guys," Venti said casually, patting Zald's arm, which was as thick as a stone pillar. "Hedin, Hogni, Dina, Vena... meet Zald. He is a former primary pillar of the Zeus Familia, and starting today, he'll be the newest member of our family!"
Zald finally lifted his face, casting a flat gaze over the four Elves before giving a small, barely perceptible nod.
Venti's announcement successfully numbed the senses of the four Elves.
Hedin froze. Hogni released his grip on his sword hilt, his jaw dropping slightly. A former member of the Zeus Familia? He couldn't begin to fathom what kind of manipulation their god had used while they were away, but the fact that Venti had successfully recruited a monster of Zald's caliber only deepened Hedin's conviction that his god was an entity beyond all human comprehension.
"It is... an honor to be on the same side as you, Sir Zald," Hedin finally said, lowering his staff and offering a small bow.
"Save the pleasantries, Elf," Zald grunted softly. "This pint-sized god says we are short on time. Don't we have a country to visit today?"
Venti clapped his hands cheerfully. "Exactly! Recess is over. Gear up, everyone, we're heading out across the Kaios Desert toward Shalzard."
The journey from Lioad City to the western border of Shalzard was a notoriously brutal route. For ordinary merchant caravans or normal adventurers, it was an agonizing trip that took two to three days. The path was riddled with extreme, blinding sandstorms, a scorching sun that baked one's sanity, and deadly threats from desert monsters like Basilisks lurking behind the dunes.
However, the Barbatos Familia entourage had no days to waste.
The blistering sun of the Kaios Desert began to scorch their skin, and the gusting dry wind carrying coarse sand immediately assaulted their lungs the moment they stepped past Lioad City's borders. In a terrain this unforgiving, the adventurer party had to move at full speed.
"You're in a human vessel, God Venti, so you won't be able to keep up with us," Zald said.
Without warning, the veteran scooped up Venti's petite body and sat him atop his broad shoulders like a small child.
"Hey! I can at least walk on my own, you know!" Venti protested, forcing a pout even though he ultimately resigned himself to gripping the giant's shoulders so he wouldn't get thrown off.
"Quiet down and hold on tight," Zald warned.
WUSH!
An explosion of sand erupted as Zald planted his feet. With the Behemoth's poison gradually fading thanks to Venti, Zald could finally unleash his physical limits. The giant man bolted across the desert at hypersonic speed, leaving cratered footprints in his wake.
By his side, Hedin and Hogni refused to be outdone. Streams of purple lightning from the Fulgur-Calyx coated Hedin's legs, propelling him forward like pure lightning across the sea of sand. Hogni ran in a low posture, the dark aura of Ignis Tenebris scorching the air around him. Meanwhile, Dina and Vena used the wind magic from their Anemo-Calyx to surf through the air a few inches above the desert floor, keeping the formation perfectly intact.
That absurd speed completely tore apart the natural laws of Kaios.
A pack of giant Basilisks trying to ambush them from behind the sand dunes didn't even have time to open their mouths. Before the monsters' petrification poison could be unleashed, Hedin's flash of purple lightning and Hogni's sword slash had decapitated them in a matter of milliseconds, while the group dashed onward without slowing down in the slightest.
A distance that should have taken days was brutally slashed down to no more than an hour and a half.
As the sun began to dip toward the west, the arid landscape was gradually replaced. The expanse of brown sand gave way to soil starting to sprout dry vegetation, before shifting into lush palm trees. On the edge of the horizon, the giant stone walls surrounding Shalzard's border finally came into view.
Upon nearing the city gates, Zald and the Elves ground to a halt, letting the sand dust kicking up behind them slowly settle.
"Just as expected," Venti murmured, climbing down from Zald's shoulders and staring straight at the border gates.
The border walls of Shalzard looked incredibly tense. Dozens of heavily armed guards patrolled atop the watchtowers. Spears and crossbows were held at the ready. The usually bustling lines of merchants were held outside the gates, subjected to highly rigorous interrogation. Shalzard had clearly declared martial law. They must have caught intelligence that Warusa was mobilizing a massive influx of crowds and troops near the border.
"They've locked down their country out of fear," Zald commented, analyzing the guards' defensive formation. "For foreigners, breaking through martial law bureaucracy like this could take days. Do you want us to force our way through?"
Hedin and Hogni reflexively felt for their weapons, ready to clear the path if that was their god's command.
Venti shook his head gently with an amused smile. "We are civilized guests. There is no need for violence."
Venti walked ahead of them, approaching the guard barricade, which immediately leveled their spear tips at the foreign group. Without hesitation, Venti reached into his pocket and produced the official commission letter stamped with the Orario Guild's magical seal, stating their investigation mission in the Kaios Desert.
"We are the investigation team officially commissioned by the Orario Guild to evaluate threats in the Kaios Desert region!" Venti called out in a loud, deliberately amplified voice, ensuring all the guards atop the barricades heard him. "Make way. We carry an official commission letter for your King."
Upon seeing the absolute emblem of the adventurer world's epicenter of power, the guards' hostile stance instantly melted away. The authority of the Orario Guild was an unwritten international law. No sane commander would dare cause trouble for an envoy from the Labyrinth City. The barricade was immediately opened wide, granting Venti's group an exclusive path into the oasis kingdom.
After passing the border post and entering Shalzard's interior, they rented a fast horse carriage heading toward the heart of the nation: Sorshana.
The capital city of Sorshana was a wonder in the middle of the desert. Clean water channels cleaving through the main streets, buildings plated in gold and marble, and spice markets wafting aromas into the air gave testament to how prosperous this passive country was. Yet, an aura of panic crept across the faces of the passing civilians. The threat of war from Warusa had stolen their peace.
Upon arriving in front of the Shalzard Royal Palace, the group once again presented the official Guild letter as their absolute access pass. It didn't take long for the palace bureaucracy to arrange an emergency audience. No ruler in these outer regions was brave enough to refuse representatives from Orario when their country stood on the brink of war.
Inside the magnificent throne room adorned with blue gems, the King of Shalzard sat with a tense face. He was flanked by a line of exhausted-looking military generals.
"Envoys of Orario," the King of Shalzard greeted, his voice heavy and laden with burdens. "I hear you were sent to investigate Kaios. If you have come seeking aid, you come at a terrible time. Our nation is being threatened by a massive invasion from the bandit country alliance of Warusa."
Venti stepped forward to the center of the hall. His playful smile was replaced by a serious expression. His teal eyes stared straight at the ruler with a steady calmness, preparing to deliver his tactical offer.
"That is precisely why we stand here, Your Majesty," Venti said, his voice calm yet clearly echoing between the stone pillars of the desert palace. "We have come not to ask for aid, but to provide a way out for Shalzard."
The King leaned forward, his eyes narrowing in doubt. "A way out? What do you mean? There are only a handful of you. Warusa has amassed tens of thousands of bandit forces and mercenaries, not to mention the cursed gods leading them."
"Your Majesty does not need to send a single soldier to the slaughterhouse," Venti continued, his tone of voice flowing like the wind. "You possess sturdy walls and abundant logistics, but your military is not designed for invasion. If you fight an open war, the blood of Shalzard's people will soak the sands."
Venti pivoted, pointing toward Zald and the four Elves behind him. "I offer a transaction. Lend me Shalzard's name and banners. Mobilize your military solely to stand on standby at the borders of the Gazoob Desert. Establish a tight defensive formation, as if you have surrounded the Warusa alliance there. We will be the ones to descend into Gazoob, acting as your nation's spearhead to incapacitate the masterminds behind the Warusa forces."
The generals of Shalzard whispered to one another in panic.
"You want to use Shalzard's name to attack them with just your own small group? Just what can the five of you do?" one of the generals protested.
Hedin Selland responded with a soft snort.
CRASH! A lightning elemental pressure so pure and destructive erupted inside the hall, making the hairs on the necks of every royal soldier stand on end. The limestone floor of the palace suffered hairline fractures purely from the residual lightning element of the Fulgur-Calyx that Hedin deliberately leaked. Beside him, the silent, giant figure of Zald radiated the oppressive weight of a Level 7 adventurer, enough to choke the courage out of the generals in the room.
The King of Shalzard's eyes widened. He had seen adventurers from Orario before, but the aura radiated by this small group before him was something immensely powerful—a pure anomaly.
"Strength will not be an issue for us," Venti said, pulling the King's focus back to him. "Once the higher-ups of Warusa fall at our hands while we bear your banners, the morale of the Warusa forces will shatter. Rumors that the Shalzard military has hired Orario's elite and surrounded Gazoob will beat them back without you having to lift a single sword. Shalzard will emerge as the sole victor without spilling a single drop of blood, and you will become the absolute rulers controlling the order of Kaios. What do you say?"
The King fell silent for a long time. Venti's offer was far too enticing. He didn't have to sacrifice his soldiers; he only needed to facilitate logistics, send troops to the border as a bluff, and let these "adventurer monsters" from Orario handle the rest.
"Very well," the King of Shalzard finally struck the armrest of his throne. "In the name of Shalzard, we agree to this maneuver. The Gazoob border will be under the surveillance of our forces."
.....................................
Following the successful diplomacy, the Barbatos Familia group was granted access to an exclusive military room inside the palace to refine their strategy.
Zald stood beside a long wooden table, staring at a large sheet of leather parchment that detailed the geographical map of the Kaios Desert. He watched Venti's finger point directly at the Gazoob Desert region.
"Using the Shalzard forces as a bluffing barricade on the outskirts of Gazoob is a good idea to restrict the enemy's movements," Zald said, analyzing Venti's tactics. "But there is one major flaw in this scenario of yours, Venti. All of this depends on a crucial premise: aliansi Erebus must actually show up at Gazoob."
Zald crossed his arms, his sharp gaze testing the god's logic. "What if Erebus's alliance doesn't come? What if they realize there's a strange movement from Shalzard and choose to remain sheltered inside Warusa? We don't have time to besiege them forever."
Venti grinned broadly. He picked up a black chess piece from the edge of the table, then dropped it precisely onto the Warusa territory on the map.
"They will definitely come to Gazoob," Venti answered, his eyes flashing with perfect cunning. "Because we are going to lure them with an informational bait they cannot possibly ignore."
Zald raised an eyebrow. "What information?"
"False intelligence," Venti leaned forward. "Erebus and his allies are currently waiting for reports regarding the movements of the Loki Familia and Freya Familia, right? And most importantly... up until this very second, Erebus still has no idea that you've switched sides to me."
Venti's words left Zald stunned. His mind as a veteran immediately grasped where this scenario was heading.
"Zald," Venti pointed straight at the veteran's chest. "Your mission is not with me to Gazoob. Your mission is to return to their headquarters in Warusa. Move as their ally. Report to Erebus that Finn, Gareth, Riveria, and Ottar have arrived in the Kaios Desert much faster than anticipated, and are currently moving toward the Gazoob Desert to cut off the alliance's routes."
Hedin smirked upon hearing the deceptive tactic. "Brilliant. Upon hearing that the higher-ups of the Loki and Freya Familias are already closing in on the designated location, Erebus won't have time to think about any other oddities. He will immediately mobilize that entire alliance of gods out of Warusa and concentrate all his forces into Gazoob to welcome them."
"Exactly," Venti snapped his fingers. "And while Erebus, Set, Sobek, Osiris, and Resheph are all busy running to Gazoob, their main headquarters in Warusa will be devoid of high-level protection. Furthermore, given your current secret position, Erebus will undoubtedly ask you to stay behind and guard their base in Warusa while they're gone."
Venti's smile widened triumphantly. "Once that order drops, everything becomes much easier for us. As soon as that horde of gods empties the place, your task is to free all the slaves held hostage inside that Warusa base."
Zald fell silent. He stared at the youth-formed god before him with an awe he could no longer hide. Deceiving Erebus, the God of Darkness, at his own game, utilizing his information network to trigger an exodus of enemy forces, and then destroying the heart of their defenses without a single casualty on their side.
Venti's strategy was no mere chess move; it was a storm that devoured the enemy's foundation entirely before they even realized it.
"Then," Zald finally asked, an intrigued smile forming on his face. "Who will welcome those gods of Warusa when they arrive at Gazoob?"
Venti picked up four white chess pieces from the edge of the table and placed them surrounding the Gazoob point on the map. He looked at Hedin, Hogni, Dina, and Vena one by one.
"The four Elves and I will be the ones going to Gazoob, bearing Shalzard's banners," Venti said casually, folding his arms across his chest. "We'll let those gods think they're going to fight Finn and Ottar. But once they arrive at the rocky cliffs of Gazoob... the real show will begin."
The chessboard had officially been flipped. That night, the desert wind no longer carried despair, but sang a melody of conspiracy that would bring down the fate of Kaios forever.
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