That revelation slipped the ground underneath Kazuma's feet. The dungeon, a topic among fantasy-loving teens, is used in all fantasy novels or webtoons. A place where monsters stroll around and adventurers eliminate them for some rewards.
"Is this the same dungeon I'm thinking of?" Kazuma sweated profusely. Although he couldn't ask for the magician's knowledge through words, he tried to crawl around and jump to attract attention towards him.
Unfortunately, his actions had the opposite effect on the magician. He scowled and yelled at him, annoyed with his ignorant actions. He thought Kazuma was an ordinary beast and was delighted to live once again with some skill.
His nickname 'The Mad' has some reality and meaning behind it!
Furthermore, he even kicked Kazuma and activated some restraint magic on his soul, marking the beginning of a striking pain in his head. That pain somehow tried to split apart his existence.
"No! Stop it, you bastard. I get it! I get it!" Kazuma screamed in his head.
Kazuma writhed in pain and slithered around, resisting that pain. The pain was even more intense than what he felt in the summoning circle. He wept blood tears from his eyes and squealed in pain.
"Have you understood your position? Don't play around before me or try to outsmart me by your worthless means. You’re under my control. A slave should be a slave!" Zoukar snickered.
Gradually, he let the bind loosen and released Kazuma from that torturous pain. Now Kazuma realized how grave the enslavement was and he fell into another hellhole from the previous one.
As tears flowed down his cheeks, he rebuked inwardly, "Bastard! One day when I'm going to be freed, that day my retribution on you will begin. Your death will be my doing. Wait and see!"
While burning in a rage, Kazuma stared at Zoukar for his next action. Until now, his aim revolved around learning and receiving all the magic or information he could suck from Zoukar. However, after the heinous treatment, he had to think about how to free himself.
He again listed what he knew about enslavement and its functions. He remembered that this binding works best on beast souls or souls with no consciousness or free will, but the magician made a mistake and summoned Kazuma, a human soul with consciousness and free will.
For the time being, he decided to react as Zoukar wanted him to, so as to not attract any unnecessary attention and reveal his cover. He would only take action when everything appeared as a clear sky. Until then, he had to bend as he always did for his survival and future.
"Haah! I went from being a shuttle to a proper slave this time," he lamented.
"Ok, let us depart from here! I'm stuck in this small detached cave from the dungeon to hide and take a breather while regaining my strength,'' Zoukar exclaimed.
Kazuma stared at him with his deep eyes and thought, "What is there in the dungeon that he is required to perform a summoning in haste, disregarding his usual self? I remember he said something about my body being rare and he wanted to experiment first, but couldn't, due to the dire situation. Doesn't that mean I'm going to be his meat shield?"
Kazuma frowned with nervousness.
Zoukar chanted some weird spell, and the detached cave opened to another one. He must have used some of his magic to create an illusion to disappear from enemy sight.
"If he can create such illusions then why does he need me? It could only be if such magic is hard to be stable while fighting!" Kazuma contemplated.
Zoukar took a sneak into that main cave or dungeon to spot any enemy presence. He let out a sigh of relief when found the path clear. He glanced back at Kazuma and snorted.
"Follow me!" he said and began marching into the dungeon.
Kazuma had no other option but to follow since he was already in a soul bind. Meanwhile, he didn't even know what the dungeon was and how it worked. To run away from the magician and die somewhere else gruesomely, that's the lamest thing one could experience.
Henceforth, he followed as the magician, Zoukar, commanded!
When he stepped into the dungeon, he saw a similar cave to the one the magician and he was in before, but its scale was a lot bigger than he imagined. One could only ponder what type of creature lives here for the size of the cave to be enormous. Another argument would be Kazuma's short stature, which made the cave appear even larger than it was.
Now the problem for Kazuma was that he had no information or intel about the place. He knew it was a dungeon, and Zoukar summoned him at a critical time. That would explain him currently in the middle of the dungeon away from the entrance.
If Zoukar amounts to much just as he speaks, then the monsters must be giant terrifying creatures, challenging for even a magician that received a nickname. He introduced himself as a well-known black magician, hence this dungeon sounds like trouble for Kazuma.
Then he pondered the reason why Zoukar summoned him rather than gathered his mana for an even more crucial step. Many such thoughts crossed his head and jumbled around in there, with no answer to them.
Before he could contemplate further, some loud rumbling began in one of the corners of that dungeon. Kazuma sweated profusely and frowned in reflex to the intimidating threat he could feel.
Then again, those sensitive senses must belong to the reptile he possessed when summoned from nothingness. Rather than being happy for the senses, he felt more frightened since those senses could accurately narrate the danger ahead.
Gradually those crackling and bustling noises approached them and came closer than before. Kazuma squinted his eyes and whatever he saw let his eyes widen and his jaw dropped.
The bustling sounds came a lot closer to Kazuma and Zoukar, but Zoukar wasn't the one to feel panicked or frightened; it was Kazuma who had his brows wet. He squinted his eyes to get a closer look at the incoming enemies.Two massive silhouettes appeared out of nowhere as he focused his gaze. Their aura and crackling sounds were more explicit than before. Now the vague rumbling was crystal clear.Furthermore, their silhouette had lots of giant limbs with numerous jointed attachments and tentacles. Those creatures stepped forward. They looked like black giant ants with long tentacles and sharp teeth, which freaked Kazuma out of his wits.Their large pointed teeth could easily grind him, and their long legs could serve as a cage to catch small creatures. They could easily bind and gnash any small being at their leisure."Wh-what the hell are those damn scary ants? Am I supposed to fight them with this small ass body?" Kazuma stuttered in his head.His brows became wet as he frowned with
Kazuma wriggled and squirmed around, slithering his way through their appendages. He crept behind them and took a deep breath before the ants could again try to trample him. He attempted to concentrate on his back while narrowly dodging their pounding strikes.The ants crackled together as if talking their way to each other. Those sounds clutter Kazuma's head, forcing him to lose focus. Gradually, he had to concentrate on only defending rather than flying.However, the ants strategized a way to encircle him and jumped around, trapping Kazuma in between the two of them. Their enormous legs resembled a large cage, built for rhinos or something.Kazuma swallowed as his mouth dried due to fear. Now all his progress has been halted by those giant beings. Continuing down Kazuma's path, they again crackled in loud noises, as if mocking the tiny reptile to crawl and beg for its life.Meanwhile, Kazuma felt his head blank in those bustles. His life was nearing its end, whether he would beg or
Breaking the melancholy and solemn heart of Kazuma, a voice echoed in the caved dungeon, "Let's go, Astroth! We have to move faster to conquer the dungeon sooner or the ants will gather after hearing the crackle of those dead ants."Kazuma turned to Zoukar and stared at him for a while. From his statement, he could infer this dungeon had a lot more monster ants than he thought. However, he had yet to believe everything Zoukar said since he had never witnessed his might other than the soul binding.Keeping his faith in Zoukar aside, they marched forward while carefully sneaking their way further into the dungeon. Even so, nothing contrasting or particularly strange crossed their path; everything was the same dark cave.While on their way, Zoukar suddenly began speaking to Kazuma, "This dungeon had lots of ants around. Even the cave is larger than one could think. If you felt we were at the beginning of the dungeon, then you’re outright wrong. We’re in the middle of nowhere in the ant h
With a slight incline, Zoukar scrutinized the chamber from the entrance. He squinted his eyes and then said, "We can attract the whole ant army if we can somehow blaze this chamber filled with their beloved offspring."An intense gaze and a smile crept onto Zoukar's face as he glanced at Kazuma and the ants. He was ready to cut the corners on this strategy. Even Kazuma had shivers down his spine.Zoukar snorted and commanded, "Astroth, you have to smolder this chamber into ashes and bits while I'll distract the soldiers and worker ants with my magic.""Huh! At last, he'll show me something worthwhile. Let me see what magic he can display to distract those monsters," Kazuma hummed and chuckled.Zoukar pointed to the eggs and said, "Swiftly go and do the deed when you find the opening."He closed his eyes and concentrated the mana around his skulled staff. Don't know how, but Kazuma could also feel the mana concentration increasing around Zoukar, maybe due to him being a beast or whethe
Kazuma glanced around and resolved to again dive into enemy territory. Although this whole dungeon was the ants' home, Kazuma and his so-called master black mage, Zoukar, invaded that home of theirs.However, their attempt wasn’t limited to invading; this time they were going to massacre ant offspring, who could rise against the enemies as workers or soldiers. With a deep sigh, Kazuma resolved his heart to steel over his next action.He stepped forward into the chamber while the ants were involved with Zoukar’s undead soldiers. A loud pumping sound could be heard from the tiny heart of his small reptile body. He swallowed as a chill trickled down his body.Gradually, he closed the distance between him and the eggs, but the black ants were still protecting the eggs with their lives. Someone had to attract the attention of those ants for Kazuma to use his trick.As if Zoukar realized what he was doing, he summoned more of his undead and directed them at the black ants. Meanwhile, the re
While Zoukar chuckled hysterically, Kazuma felt nauseous and repugnant watching the massacre he brewed on the orders of an insane mage. However, he understood such events would be a common occurrence if he had to live with Zoukar and survive his insanity.In his reverie, he heard the loud shriek of those burning ants left in the blazing fire. That scream echoed in the whole dungeon cave. That sound startled Kazuma and even Zoukar to some extent.With a hurried concerned voice, Zoukar exclaimed, "Shit! Even in that heat, these giant shitty ants could transmit their intentions far to their kin. We have to run and hide before the terrible ant waves march on us and smash us down their limbs!"Zoukar swallowed after completing his sentence and gave a short glance at Kazuma. The upcoming fight even frightened him, or he had already seen what was about to come after hearing the cries of the burning ants.Suddenly, some rumbling began in the dungeon, and the whole cave shuddered. That tremble
Zoukar invoked some magic while grabbing Kazuma with his hand. He stuck to the cave wall as firmly as one could. Zoukar prepared Kazuma to feel stuffy in that congested setting. Yet Kazuma had no idea what and why Zoukar's behavior meant.Still, he had some inkling that Zoukar had not planned to abandon him yet. However, his breath stuck in his throat when the cave shook more fiercely than before. That trembled Kazuma's heart, and he let out a squeal in that state.Unfortunately, this fickle sound enraged Zoukar, and he clenched Kazuma's neck tightly. He gradually tightened his grip and whispered in his ears, "You bastard, are you trying to make us all die here by the horde? If I hadn't invested much in you, then I may have thrown you out as bait. Shut your trip and watch that."Kazuma tried to endure the choking and glanced at the cave. He noticed some mana around them, maybe some shield or something else, but he also noticed some shadows or silhouettes of something coming towards th
Kazuma and Zoukar marched forward in the dungeon cave to subjugate the queen ant while Kazuma kept contemplating the dangers Zoukar told him about in his self-talk. The queen guards, according to Zoukar, are the most ferocious in this dungeon, even more so than the queen ant herself.As they moved forward, the loud noises from the back chamber echoed and gradually faded to where that horde moved to. Kazuma still remembered the horror of that ants' wave howling in strange voices. He still shivered.But Zoukar and Kazuma were faster than before until the noises faded from their ears, yet the threat persisted, so they walked cautiously with each step. Zoukar moved with his mouth shut all the while, and Kazuma felt that was the weirdest part.The man who never stops blabbering some nonsense and some valuable information along with it was silent for so long as if he had a lot on his head. Kazuma had no inkling as to what Zoukar faced before summoning him or even how long he was here in thi