While the residents of Nikonya City woke up to an ordinary day as usual, inside the dungeon, Gulag began shouting with sleepless eyes. The voice of this old man, running around like a child with the serum in his hand, woke Nafız.
"Alright, we get it, you succeeded, stop shouting. Come over; I have things I need to discuss with you." Gulag, running around having thrown off his gray robe, suppressed his excitement and began walking toward the female orc who had just woken up.
"Handsome man, congratulations on making the serum, but do you have a plan for its application?" Gulag, whose initial excitement subsided, began to state what was on his mind.
"My Lord, Godfrey has been pursuing a potion to strengthen himself for many years. I obtained certain privileges all this time with the promise that I could provide it. I came across a recipe that gives the user a large amount of power for a short time, but unfortunately, some parts of it are missing."
Nafız, who roughly understood the situation, tossed a tube containing a transparent mixture to Gulag. "The tube contains a drug that will show effects far better than what you wanted, but the devastation it causes the user shortly after reaches incredible proportions. After applying this to the City Lord, be sure to avoid taking a blow from him; otherwise, I bet you will die."
As the two continued their conversation, Alyon slowly emerged from the hollow where he had retreated for rest. His bloodshot eyes indicated he hadn't slept all night, and the massive orc was walking as if he might collapse at any second. Gulag slowly moved away upon seeing him, and Alyon came silently and sat next to Nafız.
"Nafız, I reviewed my Master's life all night and saw that even such a perfect person was ultimately defeated by his enemies. No matter how much I thought about it, I could only find two things that could cause this: loneliness and loyalty!" Since Mora and Alyon were in the position of their communities' future heirs, it was impossible for many people to be around them. Most of their lives were spent in rigorous training and combat drills. This situation prevented the presence of friends who would support them, while also allowing people who secretly harbored resentment to emerge.
"My decision is that we keep as many loyal individuals as possible with us, and we fight the enemy all together during a deadly threat. From now on, I will continue my journey guided by these principles."
SHAPPPPPP!Nafız smacked Alyon's neck, accompanied by laughter, right after he finished speaking. "Damn big-head, you actually have some brain in there, I guess!"
The sound made those who hadn't woken up yet start their day. The people gathered in the large courtyard were lining up to get a bowl of gruel-like food. The Zebani were tossing various body parts to the semi-conscious creatures, while Nafız advanced toward the food line.
"If we succeed, you won't have food problems anymore, but if things go wrong, this meal will likely be your last." The crowd, initially happy with Nafız's words, became pessimistic because of what they heard next.
"Since there is a chance this is your last meal, you will eat like Kings!" When she threw wild beast meat in front of them, the crowd shouted in amazement. These people, who had long been fed the food of the lowest-class prisoners, were very excited to be able to eat meat. Tears streamed from the eyes of some people as they overturned the cauldron where the gruel was cooked and tossed the monster meat inside.
While the people forced to live in the dark cave happily ate their meal, Gulag set off with two of his prisoners to see the City Lord. Accompanied by a group of soldiers waiting at the dungeon entrance, they passed through the palace and reached the City Lord's chamber door.
"My Lord, Lord Gulag requests entry into your presence!" The door guard announced the arrival of the group, and immediately after, a response came from someone speaking breathlessly.
"Send him in immediately!"
When Gulag entered the throne room with the prisoners bound by purple handcuffs, Godfrey was busy eating from the lavish feast in front of him. Faced with this scene, Nafız leaned toward her ally's ear and said, "I think today will truly be someone's last meal."
Picking his teeth with his tongue, Godfrey spoke, wiping his mouth on the sleeve of his robe. "I couldn't believe it yesterday when I heard you saved two orcs from execution at the castle gate, but I see you haven't just stopped there and have brought them into my presence."
Gulag immediately knelt on one knee and began to speak. "My Great Lord, what has been said is true, but incomplete. An object held by these two barbarians was the only missing ingredient for the medicine I have been working on for years. I had to detain them in my dungeon to work on it all night and bring you the good news."
When Gulag finished speaking, the City Lord, who was chewing the food in his mouth, spat it all out and began to speak. "Is it ready? Am I finally receiving the medicine I've been waiting years for? You know this is no joke, don't you, Gulag?"
"Of course, my Lord, I have two doses available. I tried to do my best for you in this short time."
With a single gesture from Gulag, who met the eyes of the guards, the two orcs were hurled face down onto the floor. "I wished to make this fine day a little more cheerful, my Lord, by punishing these two savages in your presence." Gulag pointed at the orcs lying on the floor with his hand and burst into cheerful laughter.
Contrary to the external appearance of the scene, the skinny man's joy was because he had thrown the two orcs within striking distance to incapacitate the City Lord. Gulag's laughter, after observing the duo's movements for a while, began to turn sour with every passing moment. The reason was that the pair, who should have swiftly apprehended the City Lord, were lying on the ground without lifting their heads.
While laughter echoed in the room, Alyon quietly asked, "How many people are there?" "There are eight people hidden in the shadows. At least half of them are Master-level soldiers; what are so many experts doing in such a desolate city?"
When the pair entered the range for intervention, many previously unfelt auras began emanating from various corners of the room. Although it would be impossible for the owners of the auras to stop Nafız from this distance, if they escaped, their plan to turn the City Lord into a puppet would inevitably fail.
Alyon spoke in a whisper, then rose to his feet, pretending to struggle. The two orcs' exhausted state added to the City Lord's joy. Turning to the skinny old man who was his right-hand man, the City Lord said, "Gulag, while you were working all night, I assume you didn't leave your Zebani idle?"
Upon the City Lord's compliment, Gulag bowed his head slightly in salutation and said, "My Lord, my dungeon is a place where I make everyone who defies your orders experience hell on earth."
"Very good, very good, now I want to enjoy the moment I've been waiting for so long. Bring me my medicine, my dear servant!"
Gulag, unaware of the presence of the warriors hidden in the room, began walking toward the City Lord, filled with joy. As he took the medicine out of its container, the City Lord's expression suddenly changed. The City Lord, alerted as if he had heard something, looked into Gulag's eyes and said, "You will administer the medicine to yourself first."
Gulag had anticipated that the City Lord might want to test the medicine on someone else first, but he never imagined that person would be himself. In that moment, some words he had heard before echoed in his mind: "However, the devastation it causes the user shortly after reaches incredible proportions."Gulag, who spent most of his days in a dark and humid dungeon, knew that his chances of survival were very low if he were exposed to the medicine's side effects while already living in a physically ravaged state.
Knowing all this, when he injected the medicine into himself, he had made up his mind to take Godfrey with him in the worst-case scenario. "Hey, you skinny old geezer, was the medicine you got for your impotence and the City Lord's? What happened, aren't you having fun with each other lately?" Gulag, who had to rapidly consider many possibilities, was startled by the high-pitched voice coming from the location of the prisoners.