The Emperor Has Returned

Chapter 24 – Covered by Fog (1)

‘They’re pretty good,’?Juan thought as he watched Huxle’s party fight from a mid-level beam. The item that Huxle had prepared seemed to be more useful than Juan had thought. Although he hadn’t seen any during his reign as the emperor, he could figure out its functionality and how it worked.

‘The fog demons are still around, huh? Although I don’t think that they are wandering outside the tower...’?

Even after Juan had burned Grunbalde to death, these fog demons remained, wandering around in the city. Attracted by the tower’s mana, they eventually entered it, just like the humans who became Grunbalde’s sacrifices. However, these fog demons were not strong compared to demon beasts outside, as the Ash Tower continuously took power from them. However, they assimilated with the energy that ruled the Ash Tower, which brought about their camouflaged form.

Anyone who first encountered these demons would definitely get caught off guard, resulting in casualties; however, it wasn’t difficult for Juan at all. Huxle’s party would be able to counter these demons without any deaths if they knew how.

‘It might be hard for them to reach the top floor though.’

Juan quickly left Huxle’s party behind as he climbed the tower. The fog demons didn’t notice him as Juan had erased all traces of himself; even if they did, Juan swiftly stabbed them in the neck before they could react to his presence. However, Juan didn’t absorb their blood as it was heavily contaminated with mana from the Ash Tower.

‘He’s still as influential as ever.’

It was surprising to see how much effect Grunbalde had after all these years.

Juan had never thought that Grunbalde was still alive, unlike Talter. Rather, he was thinking of the relic Grunbalde had left behind. Juan had sealed the relic in the tower, in case it fell into the wrong hands. The relic was what gave Grunbalde the nickname, ‘Fog Demon King.’ Juan was now after that relic himself. If the relic’s power was still the same, it would be really helpful to him in the future.

“That’s that, but things have gotten out of control during this period...” Juan mumbled as he killed the camouflaged eagle that flew by. Things had gone out of control here; people did not raid the tower often due to the fearsome rumors about the Ash Tower and the Church’s constant surveillance. People would have long found a way to defeat the fog demons easily had they strategized their attack. However, the real danger within the Ash Tower wasn't the fog demons—it was the Ash Tower itself.

Krrrrrr.

Juan heard the sound of rocks moving, and realized that the moment that he had been waiting for had come. The broken walls and pillars started changing positions on their own. Those outside the tower would not be able to see these changes; it was an illusion created by the fog.

Juan quickly jumped away from the floor as it started to fall apart and reassemble. The Ash Tower’s fog cascaded down like a waterfall, creating a series of shapes. Just as one of these shapes was taking form, Juan threw himself onto the huge shape and barely climbed on top of it.

“───!”

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Whatever the Ash Tower had created was silent, but there was a queer sound that made Juan’s body tingle and feel heavy. Juan looked down momentarily as he clung on. There was an empty space beneath his feet; Juan couldn’t find a trace of the floor he stood on previously. The Ash Tower had reassembled to create the upper body of a gigantic golem. The incomplete golem had fixed itself to the wall, looking down at the intruders.

Juan smiled at the golem and said, “You’re still the same.”

The golem was a creature that Juan created with magic to protect Grunbalde’s relic. This golem was one of the first ones he had created, so it looked incomplete and out of shape compared to the others. Even though several decades had passed, only small amounts of moss had grown between the cracks on the golem as it silently carried out its mission.

The golem groaned as it moved towards Juan. Juan was slightly expectant, but the only thing that came crashing toward him was a massive hand.

Juan quickly dodged. The wind pressure that came from the attack was so strong that Juan’s body almost got swept away.

Juan clicked his tongue and used Blink. Juan’s body bounced into the air and landed on the golem’s shoulder.

The golem attacked Juan as if it was trying to swat a fly, twisting its joints in ways humans could not.

‘As expected, it can’t recognize me because I don’t have enough mana.’

The golem could not recognize Juan. He was very weak, and thus, the golem treated him like an intruder.

Juan was speechless. His power right now was like a mere grain of sand on a beach when compared to his power at the time he had made the golem.

CRASH!?

Juan barely dodged that attack. He hadn’t expected the situation to turn out this bad, but still had to acknowledge it. For him to get to the top of the Ash Tower, he had to make the golem submit to him; however, only the emperor could make the golem submit. As he was now, Juan was too weak to be acknowledged as the emperor. On the other hand, if he destroyed the golem, it would be impossible for him to climb to the top. In other words, the golem was made so that only the emperor, Juan, could possess Grunbalde’s relic.

‘I’m starting to regret my decisions.’?

However, that didn’t mean that it was impossible for Juan to defeat it with brute strength. There was one more method he could use, even though it was slightly more troublesome.

Juan started to move in a peculiar way. The golem moved busily as it followed Juan. As it attacked Juan, it also changed the structure of the Ash Tower. While Juan avoided the golem’s hand, he also had to keep dodging the walls and pillars that suddenly shot up from the ground.

‘Seems like I can’t use Blink either,’ he thought. If he was hit by a falling rock, he would become a bloody mess.

The golem twisted its body at a strange angle, extended its arm and swung it around. Juan barely avoided the golem as its pillar-like arm struck the tower’s wall, creating a thunderous sound.

Juan hadn’t felt the golem’s speed to be very quick when he had first made it. However, for Juan who was a mere thirteen-year-old now, the golem’s strength and speed were overwhelming. Juan unwittingly felt his heart start racing.

“Nice power!” Juan shouted excitedly. It had to be at least this strong to carry out his command for half a century.

As the golem’s fist slammed into the wall that Juan was holding onto, small but sharp pieces of rock brushed past his cheek, causing blood to be spurted out.

Juan gasped; he had no choice but to use Blink to avoid falling.

The golem transformed its body in an instant, making a huge wall in Juan’s path as if it had anticipated Juan’s move.

‘It immediately?recognized the fact that I am using Blink?after seeing me use it just once.’

Juan admitted that he had been negligent, and the price he paid was excruciatingly painful. The golem slammed Juan’s body against the wall like it was swatting a fly.

Blood sprayed on the wall where the golem’s fist struck and there was a loud sound as if a ball had exploded.

The golem continued to swing its fists as if it was mashing something, creating a hole in the wall. After a while, the golem slowly recovered its fist, as if it had determined that it had fulfilled its duty and now had to get rid of the other intruders. It turned its gaze towards the bottom.

At that moment, the golem suddenly lost its balance. It then realized that it had destroyed the main structural parts that had been supporting its body. Although there wasn’t much difference at a glance, it was enough to knock down the golem that had lost its balance.

Crash!

The golem’s body crashed into the wall and started to fall towards the bottom of the Ash Tower.

***

“Aaah!”

Huxle’s party screamed as they were alarmed by the falling boulders. An unseen monster the size of a human was crushed by a boulder. Gruesome sounds of things being squashed could be heard from all around them.

Huxle dragged the others along with him and fell backward due to the unexpected event.

Rocks continued falling for a while.

Benson’s shoulder was dislocated, while Cerm looked like he had a concussion, but no one had any major injuries.

Huxle was worried that the Ash Tower had collapsed, but it didn’t seem like it, much to his relief. It was just that, there wasn’t a next floor for them to advance to.

Huxle was at a loss. At this rate, it looked like they would have to do some rock climbing. Huxle asked, “Is everyone alright?”

“B-Boss, just what in the world is that...?” Torrell asked, pointing in front of him.

Huxle’s gaze turned to something that was obscured by the fog and dust. At first, it looked like a huge pile of rocks, but as he looked at it closely, it looked like it was squirming. Torrell’s face turned pale. Huge boulders and pieces of rock that fell from above were being dragged towards that huge pile of rock. Something was recovering its broken body within the cloud of dust. Its body was huge, with each part being several meters long. They immediately recognized that its limbs took the shape of a stubby human.

“It’s a golem... The thickest arms that held up His Majesty’s throne… They really exist,” mumbled Anya, and Huxle overheard this. She looked like she was happy and in awe. However, Huxle had no time to pay attention to her, because the golem started to move once again.

“Shit! You didn’t say that we would be fighting that!” Benson screamed.

Huxle hurriedly covered Benson’s mouth, but his scream had already caught the golem’s attention.

The golem moved its heavy body and approached the party. The sight of its overwhelming size and weight that shook the tower’s foundation stunned Huxle. Huxle imagined himself turning into a bloody mess if he was crushed by those gigantic feet.

“R-Run!”

The loud steps from the golem were slow, but it was still faster than the party. When Huxle desperately ran away, he noticed Cerm standing at the same spot, still mumbling incomprehensible words. Huxle was not the type of person who would abandon his companions, but he just couldn’t go back to get Cerm.

Just then, Cerm suddenly spread his arms towards the golem as he finished a short incantation. Raging flames hit the golem. Hot flames twisted around the golem, evaporating the surrounding fog.

Huxle was dumbfounded, as he had never seen Cerm use such powerful magic before. He had thought that Cerm was merely a timid illegal mage, but to think that he possessed such power! Huxle started to have high hopes, but they only lasted until the golem started to lift its foot in Cerm’s direction.

Cerm continued to stand still with his arms outstretched. The golem’s foot flew toward Cerm, and Huxle cursed at himself while pushing Cerm away.

BOOM!

.

Huxle closed his eyes tightly, feeling regret about his failed life, but he did not feel as much pain as he thought he would. It was unfortunate that he could not see his child, but it was okay since he no longer had to live a life of failure and pain...

“Boss! Run away from there!” Torrell shouted, his deep voice causing Huxle’s eyes to open.

A familiar shield had appeared in front of Huxle. It was the imperial shield that Torrell brought out with him when he deserted the army. Compared to other shields, it was heavier and bulkier, but it was the same shield that had saved him hundreds of times. Today, it was trampled on and dented badly. Torrell had created enough space so that the lower half of Huxle’s body would not be crushed.

“Why…?” Huxle asked as he crawled out.

“What do you mean by why? It’s because I can’t see my stupid Boss get tricked by that sly barmaid and die a painful death!” Torrell screamed an answer.

“Get tricked?” Huxle muttered.

“To hell with pregnancy. I’ve seen that girl trick innocent mercenaries for money! That girl just wanted money. You’re the only one deluding yourself about having a married life!” Torrell exclaimed.

“What? Then why didn’t you say that before? Why did you make me risk my life for this expedition?” Huxle asked.

“Err, about that...” Torrell hesitated, but answered in the end. “Because I’m certain that it’s my child.”

Huxle didn’t know how to reply. Meanwhile, the golem had started to move once again. He thought that if they continued to stay there, they would become a part of the floor. He grabbed Cerm with Torrell’s help and started to run. However, their movements were much slower than before. It was obvious that they would be crushed by the golem.

Huxle just laughed. To think that such a well-prepared expedition would come to a futile end and he even lost the purpose of the whole expedition. He was so speechless that he could only laugh. He could feel Torrell, who was next to him, stare at him as if he was looking at an idiot.

The moment the golem lifted its foot above them, a heavy force struck its head. The golem stumbled and stepped right next to Huxle, causing them to roll to the side like fallen leaves.

“Wh-what was that-?!” Huxle stuttered as he hurriedly looked up at the golem.

He saw a small shadow on top of the golem’s drooping head. Huxle couldn’t figure out what that was; it looked more like a blood clot than a human, while flames were coming out of random places on its body. The person wore rags, but even the rags were on fire.

Huxle was startled as he thought another monster had appeared, but then he spotted that ‘thing’ holding onto a short sword. It was the same short sword that Juan held. However, unlike before, the red short sword shone with a fancy pattern while that thing’s skin burned brightly. That was the moment Huxle realized that the ‘thing’ he was staring at was Juan. Juan’s face was not the face of a young boy that Huxle had seen so far—it resembled the face of a bloodthirsty berserker.