The materials dropped by the Desert Sword Attendant included a charred and twisted monster material imbued with a vast amount of mana, five magic crystal coins, and a lesser magic grade magical artifact.
[Moth Necklace] Lesser magic grade. Enhances the ability to manipulate flames and provides a certain level of fire resistance.
There was no need to state how precious the materials dropped by a hidden boss were.
In the current Well of Eternal Imprisonment, magic crystal coins were an extremely rare and precious currency, with demand far exceeding the supply.
Many of the materials, information, and treasures offered by the monster merchant could only be obtained in exchange for magic crystal coins.
Although they had not obtained the Candelabra related to the Forbidden Fire, these materials alone were enough for them to make a massive profit.
Furthermore, it wasn't as if they had no chance at the Forbidden Fire itself.
The Candelabra was merely one of the clues to the Forbidden Fire. Serafina possessed the Forbidden Fire Blessing Mark, which allowed her to touch the flames.
The chance of her obtaining the Forbidden Fire remained quite high.
On the other side of the battlefield, forced by the pressure of the gathering monsters, Caiman had no choice but to let Manfred go despite him being right before his eyes.
There were still residual embers of the Forbidden Fire in this area. Relying on these lingering flames, it would be difficult for him to force Manfred to stay.
"I will let you keep the Candelabra for now, Manfred."
"By defying the family's will, you have become a despicable traitor that the Grey family will never forgive."
After Caiman finished speaking, he gripped the Forgotten Hero and charged toward the location where the Desert Sword Attendant had fallen.
Manfred did not hesitate for a second. He turned around and ran in the opposite direction.
The surrounding Forbidden Fire was already beginning to die out. While it lasted, he could barely manage to deal with Caiman.
However, once the Forbidden Fire was extinguished and the knight order regained their sanity, a second-rank swordsman like him would be nothing more than a trapped rat.
Manfred had not run far when he heard several heart-wrenching roars.
The voice belonged to none other than Caiman.
"You bastards! You bunch of bastards! Despicable, shameless animals!"
It seemed that something had gone wrong at the spot where the Desert Sword Attendant had died.
Manfred had no intention of turning back to check what had happened. His only thought was to escape this dangerous zone as quickly as possible.
Spotting a clump of extinguishing Forbidden Fire on the desert sand, Manfred took down the Candelabra strapped to his back.
The Candelabra could contain the Forbidden Fire.
He wondered if he could preserve some of these residual embers.
The power of the Forbidden Fire had left an incredibly deep impression on Manfred.
If he could keep some of it, the safety of his team would be greatly enhanced.
With that thought, he manipulated the Candelabra, collecting the flickering flames scattered across the sand.
As the Candelabra activated, the residual Forbidden Fire on the ground flew toward the silver artifact like flowing paint from a canvas.
Manfred did not dare to linger for long. He only collected a few large clumps of the Forbidden Fire before continuing his flight.
A small section of an orange-yellow candle had appeared on the silver Candelabra.
It really worked.
However, it seemed it could only be used once or twice.
Once or twice was enough. With the power of the Forbidden Fire, even a limited use could serve as a life-saving trump card.
...
On the other side, the furious Caiman was forced to quickly calm his heart.
Not only had he failed to secure the Candelabra, but even the drops from the Desert Sword Attendant had been stolen.
His knight order had worked so hard and lost so many men, yet in the end, they had gained absolutely nothing.
Caiman felt the deep malice radiating from the Well of Eternal Imprisonment.
Furthermore, everything was too strong.
Whether it was the Desert Sword Attendant or the Forbidden Fire, they were both far too powerful.
As the commander of the Grey family knight order, Caiman had explored various dungeons.
Yet, he had never encountered a dungeon with such high difficulty.
At only the ninth floor, a monster as powerful as the Forbidden Fire-enhanced Desert Sword Attendant had appeared.
The Desert Sword Attendant was strong on its own, but still within an acceptable range.
But combined with the Forbidden Fire, its difficulty was far beyond what a ninth-floor boss should possess.
Although the resources in this dungeon were much richer than in others, and it even contained the incredibly powerful Forbidden Fire, it was simply too dangerous.
Quickly ending his train of thought, Caiman already intended to write a letter to the family to inform them of the situation within the Well of Eternal Imprisonment.
This dungeon was far too unusual.
Suppressing his rage, Caiman rushed toward the location of the knight order.
By now, the knight order was completely surrounded by skeletal lizardmen.
The battle priests, who were specifically trained to counter lizardmen, had not yet recovered from their confusion.
The lizardmen they usually handled with ease were now gaining the upper hand against the disorganized knights.
"Do not panic! Break through in the direction away from the Forbidden Fire! Knock out anyone who is still confused!"
Caiman raised the Forgotten Hero and shouted at the top of his lungs.
As the Forbidden Fire gradually faded, the knight order was no longer as chaotic as before.
Hearing Caiman's commanding voice, those who had remained conscious quickly followed his orders and began to fight back.
Caiman gripped the Forgotten Hero tightly and charged into the fray, leading the breakthrough.
Under the siege of the undead lizardmen, the three factions began to break out in three different directions, gradually distancing themselves from the battlefield.
Zeno, who had been watching from a distance, drifted down to the center of the battlefield, which looked as though a meteorite had struck it.
A few flickering clumps of Forbidden Fire still remained, burning the cold sand under the dark night sky.
"Lady Zeno."
A skeletal shaman crawled out from beneath the sand with great awareness, kneeling respectfully on one knee as it awaited Zeno's orders.
"How is the weakening of the knight order's strength proceeding?"
"Reporting to the Guardian, taking advantage of the chaotic power of the Forbidden Fire, the undead lizardmen have caused a certain number of casualties to the knight order."
"Currently, eight shamans are leading their respective subordinates in pursuit. However, since the knight order is gradually regaining their sanity, the number of casualties may not exceed our expectations by much."
The skeletal shaman did not dare to look up, reporting the mission status while keeping its head bowed toward the Guardian.
"I see."
"You have done well."
The goal of maintaining balance had been achieved.
The knight order was weakened, while the Red Rose team and Manfred's team had both been strengthened to some extent.
Only by maintaining this balance could they devour adventurers and slow down their conquest speed without drawing too much unwanted attention.
"It is our honor to share your burdens, Lady Zeno."
"Your subordinate shall take his leave now."
With those words of departure, the skeletal shaman sank back into the sand and vanished.
Beneath the desert surface, the skeletal shaman mounted a large skeletal lizard mount that he had specially modified and pursued the knight order.
Zeno lightly raised her hand, and a flickering clump of Forbidden Fire drifted into her palm.
"So this is the Master's Forbidden Fire."
Zeno looked at the fire in her palm, sensing the madness, irritability, and destructive power within it.
As the Forbidden Fire slowly went out, Zeno walked to the very center of the battlefield.
There was only a patch of scorched earth and a charred wooden stake where the Forbidden Fire had burned most intensely.
Zeno had not come here merely to watch the battle or admire the Master's fire.
She had another task to perform, as well as the matter she had previously promised the Desert Sword Attendant.
Rate on N.U.
