Published at 17th of September 2026 8:15 am

Chapter 2024: Contingencies

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At dawn the following day, the group began their journey through the mountain pass.

The atmosphere was grim and tense. Towering cliffs rose on either side of them, their jagged peaks disappearing into the thick gray clouds overhead.

The narrow path wound through the Lamiyan Mountains like a gaping scar, surrounded by towering walls of stone that seemed ready to collapse at any moment.

It was a good thing none of the monsters were patrolling the pass. Still, no one dared to speak or even make a noise while traveling.

Even Leah and the others, who had initially been curious and frightened about what lay beyond the mountains, had grown noticeably quieter.

The previous night, Adam had laid out the plan in detail.

Once they exited the pass, Luca would lead Leah and the others south toward the X marked on the map. Meanwhile, Adam would head north alone.

His purpose was simple - to draw attention.

The ravens, the monsters, and anything else loyal to the Vampire King would eventually notice his presence. Adam intended to make sure of that.

As long as the attention of the enemy remained focused on him, Luca and the others would have a far greater chance of reaching their destination unnoticed.

After all, even though he had a concealment artifact with him, its effects were limited to him only. Leah and the rest, being Paladins, did not have invisibility spells to utilize. Neither did they have artifacts for similar use.

As for what really was at the location marked with an X?

Adam theorized that it was the site of the Moon Temple.

Of course, this was not a random guess but an educated one deduced from all the information that he had gathered in the past.

Adam did not know what awaited them there, but if his theory was correct, the temple might contain answers connected to the sun, the moon, and the mysterious number 108.

Once Luca and the others successfully infiltrated the location, Adam would join them.

At least, that was the plan.

If Adam failed to arrive for some reason, Luca had been given clear instructions. He would improvise. And no matter what happened, he would complete the objective.

A week later, the other end of the mountain pass finally became visible. The sight should have brought relief, but instead, the group only grew more cautious.

Adam stopped beside one of the towering stone walls and raised his hand. With a casual hand seal, he carved out a small cave within the mountainside. Then, he stepped inside and began inscribing several layers of rune magic along the walls and entrance.

Once he finished, he turned toward the group and instructed, "Wait here."

Leah frowned and couldn’t help but ask, "What is your plan exactly?"

Adam glanced toward the distant lands beyond the mountains and smiled faintly.

"There’s a human settlement nearby," he said. "And all around it, there are several powerful vampire holds. Let me go and create some havoc."

"And we leave this place after that?" Michael asked nervously. "What if something goes wrong? My lord, you will be facing countless foes out there! It’s still not too late to—"

Darren snorted. He interrupted Michael and said arrogantly, "You’re looking down on Magus Bucca’s prowess!"

He turned to Adam and said seriously, "My Lord, what are our instructions? How do we know when to leave the cave?"

Adam turned to him, concealing the glint in his eyes. "Oh, you will."

He glanced at Luca and nodded. "I’ll leave the rest to you."

Luca silently nodded in acknowledgment. Unlike the others, he wasn’t worried about Adam’s well-being. Not because he was cold and indifferent. Nothing like that.

It was simply because Luca knew exactly how powerful Adam was. Even if Adam was somehow overwhelmed by the monsters, he was confident in his ability to escape.

With several contingencies in place, they would make sure to succeed.

With those words, Adam turned away. He headed left and began making his way north under the effects of the invisibility spell.

Luca, Leah, Michael, Darren, Dell, and Meji watched his figure gradually vanish.

Afterward, they silently retreated into the hidden cave. And there, beneath the protection of Adam’s rune magic, they patiently waited for the signal that would tell them it was finally their turn to move.

The elves, Dell and Meji, did not dare to speak. They were aware of Luca’s dislike toward species other than humans. So even if they despised such behavior, they didn’t dare to offend him in any manner.

Darren continued to bootlick the Paladin at fixed intervals; meanwhile, Michael silently sat in one corner and rocked back and forth in panic.

Leah had an extremely solemn look on her face as she wondered:

The initial phase of the plan depends on Magus Bucca drawing the attention of the Vampire King and his monsters.

But can he do it? What if he fails?

He hasn’t made any contingencies in case he fails to accomplish the initial phase of the plan.

Does he think he will succeed no matter what?

Is this... arrogance?

She turned to look at Luca, who sat with his eyes closed. The man appeared completely calm.

Leah hesitated for a moment before calling out, "My lord."

Luca opened his eyes and silently looked at her.

Leah nervously gulped, then asked, "How strong is Magus Bucca? What I mean to ask is... will he succeed in drawing the enemy’s attention?"

Hearing the name ’Bucca’, the corner of Luca’s lips twitched. He thought incredulously, Couldn’t he have come up with a better name?

What the hell is a Bucca?

Luca displayed an impassive expression and nodded.

"He’s capable of fighting multiple beings of a similar rank. You don’t have to worry about him," he said. "Instead, focus on what we need to do."

Multiple beings at the same rank! Leah was stunned. And so were the rest.

Luca continued, "Keep a lookout for the signal. Though we may have to be patient for days. Perhaps even weeks."

***

After a few days of high-speed travel, Adam finally arrived at his destination.

It was one of the three human settlements located on this side of the mountains.

He stood at the edge of a towering cliff, silently overlooking the valley below. Nestled in the heart of the valley was a small town. Its buildings were clustered together beneath the shadow of the surrounding mountains. Thin trails of smoke rose from chimneys, disappearing into the cold sky above.

Far beyond the town, past a vast stretch of tall coniferous woods, stood a dark fortress upon a hill. Its black walls rose ominously against the horizon.

Adam’s eyes narrowed.

Then, a grin slowly appeared on his face.

That was his target.

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