Four days have passed since Yash's abduction.
Boom~
Two slashes tore across my chest.
I healed them almost instantly.
A kick came from above.
I dodged.
Another slash came from behind.
I jumped away.
I am sparring with Mala and Surya.
It is to make sure I won't get rusty.
In our team, only Surya and Mala can push me to my limits.
Sparring with them is helping me develop a prediction-based technique.
Well, I am not completely sure about it yet.
Lila is working on her spells.
Grimori and Kel are sleeping.
The face-off with Haidoro made them hit their maximiser.
Lila didn't hit her maximiser, however she is training hard and trying to compensate for it.
She has always been a hard worker.
After a few minutes, I was defeated.
I mean, I couldn't keep taking Surya's continuous slashes while dealing with Mala's close combat.
It overwhelmed me.
[Surya]: Is there any development with your prediction-based technique?
[Pratik]: None.
Surya sighed.
Mala, however, didn't seem disappointed.
Considering her nature, I thought she would at least scold me.
Seems like even she is affected by what happened.
[Pratik]: Where is this even heading?
I closed my eyes while lying on the ground.
12, analysis, combo.
What does that even mean?
12...
Have I heard him talk about it before?
12... 12... 12...
Ah!
I see.
Now I get it!
I jumped up with a smile.
[Pratik]: Guys! It's time to pack up. I finally understood the code.
Surya and Mala looked surprised.
[Mala]: What does it mean?
[Pratik]: Well, you will learn it yourself. Just follow me.
Saying that, I ran towards the spacecraft.
It was actually quite easy to understand.
Seems like Yash left such an obvious clue just for an idiot like me to figure out.
I bumped into Nini.
[Pratik]: Sorry, I was in a hurry.
[Nini]: No, it was my mistake.
Suddenly someone grabbed me by the neck.
[Surya]: You brat! You dare hurt Nini?! I will de—
Nini punched him back into the wall.
Well, I am used to it by now.
It has become a daily routine.
As for the walls, they are made of dark nanotech, so they repair themselves if we feed them Dark Energy Reserves.
Though honestly, I feel bad for them.
Rushing to the Guide Room, the control room of the ship, I packed some things quickly.
Soon, when Grimori woke up, I told him the destination and he set the coordinates for us.
Everyone hopped into the spacecraft and we left.
How long till we reach our destination?
[Grimori]: It will take quite some time. It should be around 2 light years away.
Perfect.
As soon as we enter a 1 light year radius, I will teleport us to the destination.
To be honest, Grimori feels more powerful than me right now.
His strength seems greater than even Mala's.
Of course, he was the heavy hitter of the team before the Dragon Empire Mission.
But now I can feel it more clearly.
I have finally decoded the code.
12, right?
I just hope we reach at the perfect time.
Before I could finish my thoughts, Surya and Mala entered the room.
Surya too sensed the change in Grimori's power with just a glance.
[Surya]: He seems more powerful than usual.
[Pratik]: Well, he is the heavy hitter of the team after all.
[Surya]: Heavy hitter? Didn't you say it was Mala?
[Pratik]: Well, she is heavy and hits h—
Mala punched me with full force.
Gosh.
I thought I would die.
What was that punch?
Within three seconds, I felt dizzy and surrendered to sleepiness.
Planet Gamble 2.0,
Haidoro was sitting on his throne while talking to a glass sphere.
[Haidoro]: It ended better than expected, sir. We got the Gretoling Prince as our slave. Isn't that greater than having a million slaves?
[Voice]: Hahaha... you have done a great job, Haidoro! A very great job! I will make sure Boss rewards you well. You will be showered with treasures.
[Haidoro]: It is my pleasure, sir.
He spoke calmly.
[Haidoro]: However, I have a request.
[Voice]: Sure! Ask for anything you want. For your work, you will be granted anything.
[Haidoro]: I want the head of Shadow Lord.
[Voice]: Shadow Lord? What is that supposed to be? Never heard of it.
Haidoro remained calm.
[Haidoro]: It is said that he will be the reason for my death. He has been reborn into this world. If it is true, then he may be more powerful than me. I want him dead before he kills me.
[Voice]: Hahaha... are you scared, Haidoro? Can't blame you. If you really feel uneasy, you are welcome in the Voidal Dimension. I will make sure no one dares touch you there. By capturing the Gretoling Prince, you have already earned that right.
Haidoro lowered his voice.
[Haidoro]: Sir, will Boss make a visit?
[Voice]: Don't worry about that. I will handle the rest myself. Boss is busy in his own world. However...
The voice suddenly turned rough.
[Voice]: Before you visit my dimension, make sure you bring the Gretoling Empire Prince with you. Is that understood, dear Haidoro?
[Haidoro]: I understand.
The sphere shattered.
The call ended.
Haidoro sighed.
The stone vessel in his hand cracked into pieces.
[Haidoro]: Where are you, Shadow Lord? Who are you? Why does Sir not know about you? Why doesn't Boss know about you? Who were you in the past?
He spoke in a deep voice.
Lilith entered the room with a candy in her mouth.
[Lilith]: Should we prepare the sacrifices before our departure?
Haidoro calmed down after hearing that.
[Haidoro]: Yes. Sacrifice 101 slaves before we depart. Make sure we leave as soon as possible, and make sure the Prince remains under surveillance until then.
Lilith left while sucking on her candy.
Haidoro(thinking): You can't do anything, Shadow Lord! I am destined to rule the world. You can't stop me.
To be continued...
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EXTRAS:-
CROCUS ESCAPED
While Griho was away on his interplanetary mission, Crocus escaped the prison after defeating all the guards.
Crocus has regained 40% of his power and is now on par with Griho.
He is training daily to remove his seal faster.