Abyss System The Rise of the Lord-Chapter 120 aurora noir and the unknown clan

Chapter 120: Chapter 120 aurora noir and the unknown clan

NOA:

Zaber was caught between two fires.

The first fire—Aurora.

Her gaze was cold, her movements measured, and her words stood on the thin line between command and opportunity. She did not want submission, but the consequences of not submitting, though unspoken, were sufficiently evident in the pressure within the room itself.

The second fire—Zaber himself.

He had never wanted to live in someone’s shadow. Especially not by force. Especially not by command. The idea of being controlled by an older woman with cold eyes weighed heavily on his pride.

From childhood, he had understood one thing: life shows you no mercy. Begging might save you temporarily, but it doesn’t grant respect. Respect is born from power.

But now, inside him, it wasn’t just pride; there was calculation too.

If he refused—his power wouldn’t suffice for now.

If he agreed—being someone’s slave was worse than death, but for the sake of his goals and revenge, he didn’t even have the right to die.

On the other hand, there was Larden.

His mentor. His true direction. Training with him must continue. How long it would take to become a knight was unknown. There were four years until the core appeared. In these four years, he needed to shape himself.

But he had never aimed to become a knight.

The goal was much higher than that.

The silence in the room grew heavier. Aurora watched him. She was in no hurry. Impatience was for the weak.

Zaber remained silent for several minutes. His mind worked quickly.

If I refuse now—I will be forced by power.

If I agree—I will force myself.

He raised his head.

—Fine. I will go to the academy.

A satisfied smile appeared on Aurora’s lips. There was no warmth in that smile—there was control.

—I knew a smart person like you wouldn’t make another choice.

Zaber continued:

—But I will go in two months. I have things I need to finish.

Aurora narrowed her eyes.

—Two months?

She thought. Did she search for lies on Zaber’s face? Or fear? She found nothing.

—Fine,—she said finally.—But you won’t leave the city. That’s the condition.

—Understood, my lady.

This "my lady" was said deliberately.

Zaber stood up. He walked toward the door.

—Where are you going?—said Aurora.

—To the inn.

—No more inn. From today, you will live here. The servants will prepare a room.

Zaber paused for a moment.

This was the first link of control.

—As you wish, my lady.

He left.

Aurora remained at the table and turned off the artifact. The invisible barrier in the room disappeared.

She leaned back in the chair and whispered:

—I like the obedient ones. More than the rebels. No need to break them... directing is enough.

An imperceptible smile appeared on Zaber’s face as he walked down the corridor.

Two months.

If Larden returns... everything will change.

If he doesn’t return—everything will be ruined, and Zaber had bet on the gamble; if Larden didn’t return, Zaber would be forced to go to the academy. On the other hand,

Azuris.

Kargal.

Luna.

Gobuto.

They were gathering strength in the Riza forest.

Within two months, I will bring the Aurora matter under control.

Within two years, I will form an organization.

The Neon clan, Aurora too—temporary obstacles.

The main goal—power, whether external or internal, doesn’t matter; the most important thing is

that he never again has to stand before someone and be forced to make a choice.

Riza Forest

The forest’s silence was deep. The trees were dense, the air humid, the ground covered with soft mud.

The cave looked ordinary from the outside. Narrow entrance, dark interior. A person walking forward would fall into a pit or encounter spears falling from above.

This was a deceptive entrance.

The real entrance was behind the waterfall, hidden behind the curtain of water. The natural noise swallowed any sound.

Inside, a small shelter had been built. A fire was burning.

Gobuto—first level, sixth stage.

Kargal—first level, seventh stage.

Luna—first level, third stage.

Azuris—first level, fourth stage.

Luna stared at the fire and asked:

—Do you think the master has abandoned us?

Kargal didn’t take his eyes off the fire.

—Why do you say that?

—It’s been a long time since he left. No letter. No order. No sign.

Kargal said slowly:

—Wouldn’t that be better for you? After all, he forced you.

Luna shook her head.

—No. I’ve started to see my path with him. He doesn’t beat us. Doesn’t torture us. Doesn’t force us. He respects us. He’s interested in our dreams.

Kargal’s gaze softened.

—If so, don’t doubt the master you’ve chosen to follow.

—Why do you serve him? Do you have a goal?

Kargal paused in silence before answering.

—A goal isn’t always measured by words. And I don’t report to anyone.

Gobuto remained silent.

He stood up and walked to the other corner of the cave.

There were captives there.

He stopped in front of them. Fear was reflected in their eyes.

Gobuto said in a low voice:

—Stay calm. If you’re smart, you’ll survive.

His intention wasn’t mercy. He was thinking about power. About offspring. About leaving his mark.

But his path was dark.

Behind him, Kargal watched him. Luna fidgeted restlessly in her place.

In the cave, only the crackle of the fire was heard.

And at that moment, far away—in the city—Zaber was beginning his own game.

The room allocated to Zaber was in the western wing of the palace.

As soon as the door closed, he didn’t stop moving.

He didn’t sit down to rest.

He immediately started working.

First, he inspected the room.

The room was spacious, with a high ceiling. Thick walls. On the left side, a window with two bars. On the right, a wardrobe. Opposite, a writing desk. The bed was placed near the wall.

This wasn’t a guest room.

This was a control room.

He approached the window. The bars weren’t ordinary iron. Traces of light magical reinforcement were noticeable. Outside, an inner courtyard was visible—rectangular in shape, with a fountain in the center.

Around the fountain, two armed knights were on duty.

Zaber calculated inwardly.

Inner courtyard—open zone. Descending there—would immediately attract attention.

He checked the window frames. Which one opens? Which one is closed? Which one is old? Which one has been renewed?

None of them was simply random.

Zaber looked at the room’s ceiling. There were small air vents in the corners. Their placement was orderly. This wasn’t ordinary ventilation—a system designed to balance internal temperature.

Can one climb up there?

Not yet.

He opened the door.

Palace structure

The western wing connected to the central hall via a long corridor.

Along the corridor, a lamp every ten meters. Marble floor. Footsteps echo far.

So, nighttime movement is risky.

He walked deliberately slowly. He felt the distance of each step.

On the left side, three rooms—for servants.

On the right, two closed doors—probably guest rooms or auxiliary rooms.

Turn at the end of the corridor.

Stairs descending after the turn.

Zaber went down the stairs.

At each step, he observed the surroundings. His eyes seemed indifferent, but his mind recorded every detail.

First floor

The central hall was wide and high. A huge chandelier hung from the ceiling. Four pillars divided the hall like four sectors.

The hall had four exits:

Eastern wing

Western wing (where he came from)

Back courtyard door

Main entrance gate

Four knights stood at the main gate.

Two knights at the inner courtyard.

One guard at the passage to the eastern wing.

Total visible: seven knights.

There are also unseen ones.

Zaber paused for a moment in the center of the hall.

It seemed no one was watching him. But in this palace, no one is truly alone.

Number of servants

He headed toward the kitchen.

The kitchen was spacious, hot, and bustling. Four women were preparing food, two young men were carrying water, one was lighting the fire.

Total: seven servants right there.

So, throughout the entire palace, approximately twelve to fifteen servants.

This isn’t an ordinary noble’s house.

This is a small military base.

Eastern wing

The eastern wing was quieter.

There were three closed doors here. One of them had a subtle magical barrier felt.

Aurora’s personal room.

Second door—possibly a documents room. Paper scent could be sensed under the door.

Third door—armory.

Zaber observed from a distance without touching the door handle. The lock mechanism is sturdy. Inside, at least ten to fifteen swords or spears must be stored.

In case of emergency, knights would run here first.

Back courtyard

He exited through the back door.

The courtyard was wide, but the outer wall was high. Iron-tipped decorations on top of the wall.

Two observation towers at the wall corners.

One knight in each tower.

So, at least four additional guards in the outer area.

Thus, overall:

Seven inside

Four outside

At least two hidden

Total approximately thirteen to fifteen knights.

Direct exit—impossible.

Emergency exit routes

He circled the courtyard.

There’s a storage. Its back wall is close to the outer wall.

There might be an underground water channel here.

Zaber bent down to the ground. The soil is damp. There’s a drainage system below.

If the water channel leads outside—this could be a hidden path.

But checking requires time.

Nighttime situation calculation

Zaber returned inside.

He won’t break anything during the day. Won’t open anything. Just remembers.

For nighttime movement, two options:

Through internal servant passages

Through the drainage system

But neither will be used yet.

He isn’t escaping yet.

He is measuring the cage.

Level of control

Zaber returned to his room again.

He sat by the window.

There are three layers of control in the palace:

Visible knights

Magical barriers

Information through servants

Aurora is no fool.

She is showing Zaber freedom. But it’s freedom under control. Like caging a bird that used to fly freely in the skies and saying this is your freedom.

Zaber said to himself:

I now need to determine how smart and powerful Aurora really is. There’s an old saying: to break something most effectively, you must first learn it well.

Things I need to know

Each knight’s shift change times

Where each servant is at which hour

Then he smiled slowly.

Aurora thinks she’s controlling me, but actually, without realizing that I’m allowing her this, I need to deal with her, but how?

The two months Zaber set

For Aurora—a period of control.

For Zaber—a reconnaissance period.

He lay on the bed. But didn’t sleep.

He thought, staring at the ceiling:

Neon clan... what kind of clan is it? Is Aurora from that clan? But her family name is Noir, why?