Lord of Caldera

Chapter 159

Lugues was about to send the next wave of troops, but the report from the advance team left him speechless.

"Only a 10% advancement during this time?!"

"Yes, sir."

It had been a month since Brian had been deployed. Lugues expected that they would have advanced at least 30% more by now—after all, Biorn had conquered 20% in just ten days. Yet, after an entire month, only 10% more progress had been made.

"I thought all that talk of hell was just whining..."

It wasn't a joke—they really hadn't been able to push forward. It was so unbelievable he was momentarily lost for words.

"Damn it. So, what's the situation inside the dungeon?"

"Honestly, it's not good. There's considerable unrest among the soldiers assigned to the raid."

"What? Why? I promised them substantial rewards upon completion!"

Dismantling the traps in the dungeon was a life-or-death task, and soldiers wouldn't act without appropriate compensation. Lugues, typically frugal, had made an exception this time and promised a generous reward.

"The amount is high enough that any commoner would leap into a fire for it. Are you telling me someone is spreading false information for their gain?"

"Absolutely not, sir!"

"Then what's the problem?"

"The previous soldiers have been spreading demoralizing rumors."

The dungeon raid under Brian had left the soldiers with nightmarish memories—lethal traps that killed upon activation, traps that triggered again even after they seemed to be disarmed, and the horrifying sight of comrades shattered to pieces. Each time, the fear of death loomed, but progress was barely made. And as if that wasn't enough, they'd been ambushed. To the original soldiers, just hearing the word "dungeon" was enough to make them shudder.

"The castle of Beldaine is impregnable. Biorn doesn't have enough troops to seize it."

Even if he tried, it would take much longer than a day or two—several months at the very least. And if that happened, Lugues could simply turn his army around and strike Biorn's rear. Confirming his plan, Lugues looked down at the dungeon.

"We'll finish this within a month."

Any longer than that, and other lords would begin to interfere. Regardless of the casualties, he had to complete the conquest in one month. Biorn had managed to conquer 20% in just ten days. If Lugues was willing to accept the losses, he could do the same.

As Lugues made his resolution, he was being observed from afar.

"They really came," Toby remarked, his superhuman vision allowing him to survey the distant army. It was clear that Lugues had brought every available soldier.

"He's determined. Looks like he plans to throw them all into the dungeon," Rey observed.

"Let him try," Sylas replied to Toby's muttering.

"They'll all turn into corpses in that dungeon. I wonder how many soldiers he'll lose before he gives up," Sylas mused.

"Aren't you being too optimistic?" Rey asked. "If he keeps pushing them in, they'll eventually exhaust the traps."

Once a trap is triggered, it's used up, whether it's an animal trap or a magical one. You could set multiple traps in one place, but eventually, they'd all be exhausted, creating a safe zone.

"If they really succeed in breaking through, that could cause trouble. If they manage to find any artifacts suited for war, the situation could turn," Toby warned.

"Don't worry; that's not going to happen."

"Do you know something we don't?" Toby asked, curious.

"Who knows?" Sylas replied with a sly smile.

Toby shook his head at Sylas's cryptic tone. Even though he was his lord, that secrecy of his was something else. He knew Sylas wouldn't reveal more if he kept pressing, so he let it go, grumbling internally. Sylas smirked to himself.