Ch.391Chapter 391 – Heading to the Central Tunnel

We successfully secured the lift connecting the Endless Tunnels to the surface.

It was thanks to the reinforcement of our forces who could use aura and magic.

However, securing the lift didn’t mean everything was over.

The central shaft located in the middle of the Endless Tunnels.

Monsters were continuously coming through from the portal situated inside it.

“Who’s in charge of this area? Are they here?”

I first sought out the person in charge to understand the overall situation of the Endless Tunnels.

Since we weren’t familiar with this place, help from someone who knew it well was essential.

“I’m the person in charge, but who might you be?”

When I asked for the person in charge, a middle-aged man with a bushy beard raised his hand and stepped forward.

Judging by the metal helmet on his head and the black oil stains covering his body, he appeared to be someone who inspected and maintained the lift.

“Are you the one in charge of this area?”

“Yes, I am, but who might you be?”

He expressed confusion at my question.

As he didn’t seem to know who I was, I was about to tell him when suddenly the Knight Commander stepped between us.

“This is His Grace, Grand Duke Patos Severio Aurelion. Show proper respect.”

“Oh! Your Grace! I apologize. I failed to recognize the hero!”

Once the Knight Commander revealed my identity, the attitude of the man who appeared to be in charge changed to one of utmost respect.

“I am Gamel, responsible for the lift of the Endless Tunnels, Your Grace. May I ask why you were looking for me?”

“We’ve come to investigate the strange occurrences happening in the Endless Tunnels. However, before we can conduct a thorough investigation, we need to subdue those monsters first.”

“Of course. Your words are absolutely correct.”

His initial attitude had completely disappeared, and he had transformed into someone as obedient as a lamb.

“So we plan to head to the central shaft where the monsters are coming from. Do you know the interior of the central shaft well?”

“Well, I’m in charge of the lift, so I don’t know much about that. But I do know who manages the central shaft.”

“Who would that be?”

Fortunately, he seemed to know someone familiar with the interior of the shaft.

“A dwarf named Chromus. Interestingly, he’s a peculiar fellow who completely shaved off his beard because it got in the way when working in the mines. Because of that, he’s often pointed at as a madman by dwarves from his homeland.”

“Is that so?”

A beardless dwarf. He certainly seemed like an unusual character.

On the bright side, it would be easier to identify him since we just needed to look for a dwarf without a beard.

“I understand. This area is now secure, so we’ll go find him.”

“Yes, Your Grace. When you meet Chromus, tell him Gadel sent you. I helped that fellow settle here. So if you mention my name, you’ll receive his assistance more easily.”

As we left the lift, he even told us how to get help from Chromus.

Leaving him behind as he built trenches to defend the lift, we advanced through the Endless Tunnels toward the central shaft.

“Your Grace, please be careful. The situation isn’t over yet, and monsters could appear from anywhere.”

“Thank you, Knight Commander.”

As we advanced toward the central shaft, we encountered various groups of monsters, both large and small.

But who were my companions?

They were the elite of the elite, selected from the already handpicked investigation team of the Gelebrio Empire, the strongest nation on the continent.

The aura imbued in their swords and the magic flowing from their fingertips easily crushed the monsters.

Though I didn’t know the details, with their skills, couldn’t they easily take over the capital of a small kingdom?

“We should keep moving. I can hear people fighting.”

“Indeed. Let’s hurry.”

As the Knight Commander said, as we advanced toward the center, we could hear the clash of weapons, the monstrous howls, and explosions.

If we were heading in the right direction, the central shaft would surely be at the end of this path.

The 150 members of the investigation team, including myself, swiftly moved toward the source of the sounds.

“Hahaha! You monsters! This place is protected by me, the great Chromus!”

What we saw was a beardless dwarf, wielding a hammer coated with aura, single-handedly fighting against monsters.

Despite the monsters having a longer reach, he moved freely, dispatching them one after another.

Behind him, what appeared to be vigilantes or guards were applying mana-restoring potions to their weapons as they faced the monsters.

“That must be Chromus.”

“A dwarf without a beard. Interesting. Let’s help them.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

At my words, the Knight Commander dashed forward and cut down a monster that was approaching Chromus from behind with a single strike.

“Hmm? Who are you?”

“Let’s save the introductions for after the battle!”

True to his title as the commander of the Imperial Knights, the Knight Commander used minimal aura to cut down two or three monsters with a single swing.

Seeing this, Chromus grinned broadly and began crushing the monsters’ heads with his hammer.

The rest of the investigation team, including myself, joined the battle, and it didn’t take long to dispatch the monsters emerging from the shaft.

“Thanks for the help. Judging by your armor, you seem to be from the Gelebrio Empire, am I right?”

“That’s correct. A man named Gamel said we’d find the manager of the central shaft, Chromus, in this direction. Is that you?”

“Ahem. I am indeed Chromus. Some call me the Beardless Dwarf.”

Upon confirming Chromus’s identity, the Knight Commander gave me a look.

I put my pistol back inside my coat and approached Chromus.

“Oh? Grand Duke Aurelion, what brings you here?”

“You know me?”

“Of course I do. I might be considered eccentric among my kind, but how could I not know the one who returned the flame to my kin in the Grendillet Mountains?”

Unlike Gamel, Chromus recognized me immediately.

“Seeing the hero who defeated the Demon God here, it’s clear you’ve come to close the portal inside that shaft!”

“That’s right. Can you guide us?”

“Of course I’ll honor the hero’s request. However, to descend into the shaft, we need to repair a device.”

“Repair a device, you say?”

“Yes.”

We all nodded in understanding as Chromus continued his explanation.

The central shaft wasn’t a vertical descent but rather a sloping tunnel dug from the surface that one had to walk through.

The entrance to the shaft was controlled by a thick steel door that could be opened and closed, but currently, it was completely sealed to prevent more monsters from escaping.

The opening mechanism had been completely destroyed to prevent anyone from carelessly opening the door, so to enter the shaft, it had to be repaired.

“It was necessary to prevent additional monster reinforcements. It was clear they were coming from inside the shaft…”

“So we just need to fix the opening mechanism?”

“That’s right.”

That simplified my task: repair the opening mechanism to gain access to the shaft.

“But as soon as the door opens, an enormous number of monsters will pour out.”

“Don’t worry about that.”

I raised my hand, pointing to our group.

Seeing some members wearing mage robes, Chromus nodded.

“Indeed. The mages accompanying Your Grace can surely subdue them with area-of-effect spells.”

“Exactly. Now, please guide us. We must completely destroy the portal from which the monsters are emerging.”

“Understood, Your Grace. This way. I’ll lead you to the shaft entrance.”

Chromus slung his hammer over his shoulder and guided us to the shaft entrance.

True to its name as the central shaft, there were numerous mine carts scattered around.

However, judging by the fact that most of the carts were completely destroyed except for a very few, it seemed a fierce battle had taken place.

“This way. The opening mechanism operates mechanically rather than through mana signals, and explosives were used to completely destroy it.”

I looked in the direction Chromus pointed. There was a complex gear mechanism, twisted and broken in various places.

“It was a necessary choice for safety.”

“I understand. Safety comes first above all else.”

I approached the opening mechanism with Chromus.

Meanwhile, the mages prepared their spells, and the knights and intelligence agents prepared to protect the mages.

The Knight Commander stood between me and the others, ready to support either me or the others if needed.

I took out my hammer and struck the opening mechanism three times, causing it to begin returning to its original form in a burst of light.

After seeing the signal that the mages were ready, I ordered Chromus to activate the opening mechanism.

Chromus pulled the lever, and as the gears turned, the entrance to the shaft began to open.

As the steel door blocking the shaft entrance was pulled apart, monsters began pouring through the gap, and the mages’ spells began to rain down.

After several rounds of magical bombardment had cleared out a significant number of monsters, we entered the shaft.

Our destination was the portal inside the shaft.