Chapter: 832

Jay ordered, and followed Handy along; Red and Blue at either side with Sweeper at the back.

Some time passed as they marched, and Lamp had stopped again. As the necromancer and his minions travelled the terrain began to change.

Less and less trees were around, while the roots climbed higher and higher up their trunks. There were some mounds of roots around now too, which Jay had guessed were trees or rocks, as he had already come across a few trees in the process of being swallowed by the undeniable roots.

The innocuous roots were forming coffins, swallowing up whatever they could.

This allowed Jay to see further, but removed any forms of camouflage and cover, forcing him to trace his path between the mounds of roots.

Jay didn’t really have to follow the large flesh-like root anymore, as all of the smaller ones had been forming a pattern, all trailing back towards the source: a castle.

It was the first castle Jay had ever seen. Its smooth giant-block walls looked impenetrable, able to withstand whatever was thrown at it and standing resolutely against all time. It came complete with battlements, towers, and a large rusted gate.

The roots, strangely, did not touch the walls, and instead sprung up from underneath them, not damaging them in the slightest.

“So the source of the roots is protected by a damn castle, because - well of course it is.” Jay pursed his lips.

He was not expecting it to be easy, it never was.

So far, Jay had only conquered a level one dungeon - having not yet finished the level three mist keep dungeon, although he came close; yet a part of him assumed, or perhaps knew, he would travel back to Losla and finish it. Someday.

Around the base of the castle were more buildings, however they seemed more like little pebbles below the overbearing fortress. Constructed with large stone blocks, each of them were angular with smooth surfaces; as practical as they were durable.

“Pretty advanced… at least compared to the villages,” he smirked, “they just need a floating gate, then I’ll be impressed.”

Groups of Knights had slowly patrolled between these buildings, and Jay noticed they were going into a particular handful of buildings and ignoring others.

“What would they be doing in there?” Jay wondered.

Groups of three marched around between the buildings, though there were a few larger groups of twenty or so marching around the outermost perimeter, with another force of troops moving around in the gate entrance.

“Damn… pretty much locked down. It must always be like this since I didn’t give up my presence.”

Jay continued to watch for the next hour, plotting and planning his next moves - though he could only think of one strategy: to lure them out and slowly whittle down their numbers.

Classically known as guerrilla warfare.


Jay was lying on a mound of roots, hiding among them as he stared at the patrolling knights, trying to find patterns as they marched around the outer settlement below the grand castle.

Blue lay next to him, also taking in the sight and receiving a lesson while Jay whispered to himself; its privilege as an aspiring commander of Jays future army.

“Hmm… there’s no way to sneak in, not with these roots covering and flattening everything, but luring them out would give away our presence. Plus, after killing a few, the intelligent ones will probably catch on quickly and only send larger forces out. There has to be a better way than to use the skeletons to bait them out.”

Blue glanced at Jay, perhaps not happy that it may be pathetically used as bait, though as a commander it would probably use such a strategy at some point.

As Jay looked across the empty, root-covered land, his eyes caught a glimpse of something, and with the gaze of a predator, his lips curled into a smile.