Lord Of Puppets-Chapter 153 – Survivor.

[Current time: 1 Day later after the adventurers have failed dungeon taming the golem dungeon.]

[Current location: Golem Dungeon - Core Room]

"..."

"..."

(Huh.... Okay?) – thought Thauma while now using the spare copy of its main combat body.

(They are leaving?) – thought Thauma as it used its scout golem to see from afar adventurers taking down their camp, as well as checking the whole forest, confirming that the adventurers have completely abandoned the forest.

(What is going on? Did they truly given up?)

(This.... Okay! THIS DOESN’T MAKE A LICK OF SENSE!)

(They checked dungeon first and second floor.)

(They know dungeon doesn’t have any monsters left.)

(They had exterminated ALL of the monsters in the forest!)

(And yet... They are backing away?)

(Are they just that scared?)

"..."

(No.)

(This isn’t it.)

(There is clearly something else going on here.)

(I would get not being attacked directly for few weeks or maybe month in order for them to gather up some stronger adventurers.... But their current course of action doesn’t make any sense.)

(Am I missing something important here?)

(Or maybe something obvious?)

(Let’s take few steps back.)

(Garmfon kingdom was originally the one attacking the dungeon, but for whatever circumstances the Garmfon kingdom forces ended completely disappearing and were replaced with instead with the forces of the elven kingdom Mowiorano.)

(Then their forces were...?)

"..."

"..."

"?"

(Wait.... Wait a moment.... Were there any?)

(I mean, I did saw elves roaming around the forest and even being as bold to stand right next to its edge.... But....No.... No!)

(There weren’t any?!)

(I don’t think I’ve seen even a single elven soldier or knight wearing Mowiorano weapons or armor sets that took part in the assault on the forest or on the dungeon! There was not a single elven soldier in the mix?!)

(Did I missed them?) – thought Thauma as it tried remembering the invaders that have entered the dungeon, as well as adventurers that set up camp right outside the dungeon.

"..."

(No... I don’t think there were any?!)

(Huh....)

(So wait.... Wait, wait, wait, wait.)

(First Garmfon kingdom attacked.)

(Then they attacked again, this time with adventurers.)

(Both disappeared, then Garmfon kingdom presence was gone and then elves came.... But they didn’t attacked and only adventurers launched their attack?)

"..."

(What in the actual hell is going on?) – thought Thauma as it quickly made its way to the prison and began asking questions nonstop to the prisoners, trying to obtain any form of clue that could help out the dungeon master understand the bizarre situation.

"..."

"How the hell are we supposed to know?" – asked beastman prisoner, which only angered Thauma as it grabbed the cell bars, alarming all of the prisoners.

"WE REALLY DON’T KNOW! OKAY?!" – shouted a panicking human prisoner.

"That elven kingdom is known for being corrupted and prideful, so it does make sense for only adventurers to be sent here."

"They probably just sent them as mercenaries and didn’t sent their own soldiers."

"..."

"So.... About those extra meals." – said nervous beast-human prisoner.

"..." – Thauma gave thumbs up, reassuring the prisoners, before then leaving the prison all together.

(Yeb... No progress whatsoever.) – thought confused and annoyed Thauma.

(There is no way I can find what the hell is going on in the outside world without obtaining new prisoners.)

(And I guess I really and I mean REALLY need one, since there is definitely something weird going on outside.)

"..."

(But of course I can’t just stand idly by and wait... I need to do something.)

(So I guess I will return to my research once again?)

"..."

(And upon thinking about it for a moment I realized that I’m pretty much screwed.) – thought Thauma as it went to its workshop.

(I’ve barely survived that last encounter! And this is only because I’ve outsmarted them!)

(C-ranks? I would had died if I tried confronting head on even half of them.)

(B-ranks? Even one was more than enough to overpower me and destroy me.)

(Hell! With the pure number of D-rank adventurers they could had slain me.)

(Ambushes and traps were the only thing that helped me out. If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t even stand a lick of a chance.)

(But even so, it was way beyond close.)

(I’ve.... Got pretty much defeated in all areas.)

(Hell, I was being straight up played with by these two B-rank adventurers.)

(Even with THIS body I was getting damaged non stop by each of their hits.)

(Not only me, but my golems.)

(They also failed me.)

(I will have to redesign each and all golems.)

(Just changing up materials alone wasn’t enough. I will need to spend more time improving my craft and probably try on improving my ability of using basic materials.)

"..."

(And I will also need to finish up my project.... Training in magic and do a lot of different stuff as well...)

(Which all will take extremely long amount of time and I don’t know when the next attack is coming and I know fully well that I’ve almost died in the last fight...Shit.)

(Okay. Now I’m really lost.)

(What do I do?)

(I mean, I did obtained extremely large amount of DP after having dungeon devour each of the corpses that were left behind.)

(But I can’t use them for the dungeon! I need them to create new monsters!)

(But these new monsters won’t stand a chance.... Then again, I need new source of miasma.)

"..."

(Isn’t this straight up lose-lose situation?!)

(I mean, no matter what I do now, I will end up getting destroyed!)

(I have means of getting stronger and I know I can possible become strong enough to face off against the B-rank adventurer all on my own and won.)

(But there is no time for the research and training!)

(I can try research as much as possible.... But will it be enough for the next attack?)

Thauma was in the state of despair, realizing it has no choice but to straight up wish the next attack won’t be coming anytime soon.... And as it turns out, it won’t.

By now the elven kingdom would an emergency meeting while the kingdom of Garmfon would began their recovery.

Fearing the revenge of the Garmfon kingdom, the elven kingdom will begin their own war preparations, causing once again a war erupting on this continent.

This will engulf both kingdoms in chaos.... But for the Thauma? It will be a straight up "MIRACLE" for it.

But was it truly a one?

Well, not exactly.

True, King/Duke Ash faction was extremely corrupted AND they were idiots. There is no denying that.

But there is also the fact that as soon as the kingdom was taken over, the Royal faction that would be later known as the Rebel faction, was actively sabotaging the "New Garmfon" kingdom.

Duke/King Ash maybe smart man and one that can outsmart the others.... But even so, he couldn’t do everything on his own and that was the Rebel faction used against him.

They attacked the spots where he wasn’t looking, ripping apart his faction bit by bit.... Until they were brittle enough to be taken down in one fell swoop.

But even so, Thauma still faced off against the adventurers and have won.

If the rebellion happened earlier, the attack on the dungeon would had been probably called off and Thauma would "evolve" dungeon further, which would make the attack on the forest and the dungeon all together much harder.

In other worlds.

This wasn’t really miracle.

The elven kingdom/adventurers attacked the dungeon when it wasn’t ready nor when it finished making proper projects.

Thauma rushed research was nowhere near enough to take on these adventurers.

...

And yet it won.

This wasn’t luck or anything.

Thauma should had met its end right there and yet, it didn’t.

However, it didn’t understood it at the time.

...

But there was somebody.

Somebody who did understood the whole picture.

And somebody who has been present yet keeping the role of the observed throughout the entire time.

"Ha! This little motherfucker did it!?"

"I honestly thought he would die for the very first time!

The person who truly understood the whole picture behind the situation was non other than the parent and teacher of Thauma.

Ariava.

(Honestly, I was just passing by after I’ve finished my business with those shitty elves, but holy shit. What the hell happened to you?) – thought Ariava as she observed the forest from high in the air.

(National dungeon? Multiple kingdoms wants to own your ass?)

(For crying out loud, I left you alone for over a year and this what has happened to you?)

(Still, I knew that this whole continent would become chaotic and everything, but to think you will have to be in this war filled time while being still so young....)

(It could be consider unluckiest time as well as the luckiest time as well.)

(Honestly speaking, if the whole rebellion happened earlier, this place would had definitely become nothing like this.... Hell! What the hell are these golems?! This little bastard made these!? They are nothing alike to his previous models!)

(How old is he by now? 2 years old?)

(To create these golems he needs to be experienced in multiple areas of crafting and his own combat skills must had been high for him to defeat the invaders.)

(And yet.... In just 2 years he is at that level?)

(If the rebellion happened earlier and nobody would stop his growth, then they would really found themselves in trouble when facing Thauma.... But by the looks of things Thauma got unlucky and they attacked later.)

(Still, how did he survived the attack force that consisted of C-ranks and B-ranks? Pure power? Or maybe just a simple trick?)

(I did heard about those ’bombs’ of his.)

(Either way, this is getting interesting.)

(Honestly speaking, it has gotten WAY too interesting!)

(I’ve told myself I wouldn’t lift a finger for him, even if he begged.... But I was considering somewhat "helping him out" after he would experience his first death and all.)

(Obviously nothing something big....)

"But then again, there doesn’t seems any need for me to worry."

"..."

"Well, I say that, but what the fuck is going on with that Garmfon kingdom? Why in the bloody hell it is keep finding itself in a new war whenever I look away?"

"Honestly, this sounded so weird that I’ve even looked it up to see if there was some sort of ’EVIL MASTERMIND’ behind it, but there was straight up nothing."

"That kind is straight up cursed or something."

"..."

"Still, Thauma is pretty much fucked."

"Considering these elves, the war will definitely start."

"And unfortunately for this bastard, the territory where his dungeon is located is straight up right between these two kingdoms."

"Calm before a storm."

"This is a straight up proper way to describe his current fucked up situation."

"..."

(Welp, I won’t even lift a finger.)

(Honestly, I really don’t have any business in getting right between the two kingdoms in order to save Thauma’s ass.)

(Or more exactly, ’THESE’ bastards started being active once again.)

(They are not here or anything, but if I do make some sort of appearance, it could only invite trouble to come here.)

(So it is for the best if I just leave and don’t even come and say hello to this little brat.)

"..."

"Still, in few years, who knows?"

"He still isn’t some known monster yet or anything, nor he is truly ’strong’ if I were to guess."

"But at the rate things are going, a real MONSTER may be born."

"Welp, that is he survives or not."

"Honestly it wouldn’t be surprised if I found him dead and dungeon gone the moment I do come back."

"I mean, the only reason why are they not aiming to destroy him is because of his value."

"But what if the ’DANGER’ outshine his value?"

"Then this bastard will truly enter hellish times."

"Oh well, that is life."

(But then again, he will soon enter different kind of "hellish" time.)

(There is good chance that he will die.)

"..."

(Or if he survives then he will emerge as something truly dangerous.)

"Ah.... I do really look forward to what will happened to this motherfucker."

{{Volume 2: End}}