Master Of Astral Summoner-Chapter 169: Hidden agenda

"Shaan… Lira…!"

Chelsie kept shouting into the massive pit right in front of her. She had already lost count of how many times she called their names, yet no answer came back. Darkness swallowed the depths below, and Chelsie couldn't see even the faintest sign of her friends.

"Oh no… no… what should I do?" Chelsie bit her lower lip, her face turning pale. "Carmen, why aren't they responding to me at all? D-don't tell me they're already dead?"

Carmen fell silent for a moment.[No, they are not dead.]

"Uh… th-then how can you be sure?" Chelsie asked shakily.

[I can still sense the daemon energies of Robin Hood and Satan. Both of them remain alive.]

"B-but what about their condition?" Panic crept into Chelsie's voice. "Are they safe? Or are they barely holding on?" She shook her head hard. "Carmen, we need to hurry and—"

[Romani girl, calm yourself.] Carmen gently placed a hand on Chelsie's shoulder. [Both daemons maintain stable energy. That means their daemonists still live and remain in good condition.]

Chelsie released a long breath. "Th-thank goodness… at least they're safe."

[Romani girl, we should leave this place and search for another route. I believe we will reunite with them.]

"Y-you're right, Carmen." Chelsie nodded quickly. "Let's go. We can't stay here."

***

Chelsie's heartbeat pounded violently in her chest. Sweat streamed down her forehead as she moved through the narrow corridor—the only path that led deeper into the cave. Silence wrapped around her, broken only by the faint glow of dim lamps along the walls. The atmosphere unsettled her, stirring unease in her mind.

'Lira… Shaan… where are you?'

She gripped her staff tightly, trying to steady the trembling in her fingers. Every few steps, she stopped, her instincts screaming that something dreadful lurked nearby. Carmen hadn't sensed any dark creatures yet, but the oppressive stillness refused to ease her nerves.

"U-um… Carmen, are you sure you still don't sense any dark creatures around here?"

[Yes, Romani girl. This area remains safe for now—and…]

"C-Carmen?" Chelsie stiffened as Carmen suddenly stopped speaking. "What's wrong? D-did you sense something—?"

[Yes.] Carmen's voice lowered. [I suddenly sense… the presence of a dark creature nearby.]

"U-um… o-okay. I'm sure it's a Blue Lizard," Chelsie said as she nodded quickly. "Carmen, use your Vitus Vitae ability and confirm the creature's position."

[I understand, Romani girl.] Carmen nodded. [Vitus Vitae!]

In an instant, a red light pulsed like a beating heart among the pile of rocks not far from them. Strangely, the red glow stayed completely still. It showed no movement at all.

"Mm… you're right, Carmen." Chelsie nodded again. "This could be a perfect chance to kill the Blue Lizard easily." A satisfied smile appeared on her lips. "But first, we need to find its weak point. Carmen, use Oculus Fractura."

[Understood. Oculus Fractura.]

At once, Chelsie saw the creature's weak point with perfect clarity. The mark sat right at the center of its body. Confidence surged through her.

'I'll try to sneak closer to it,' Chelsie took a slow breath. 'I just hope it doesn't notice me.'

She moved forward slowly, like a thief in the night, approaching the Blue Lizard that hid among the rocks. A strange snoring sound reached her ears, and certainty settled in her mind—the creature rested.

'Stay calm, Chelsie. Don't make a mistake.'

Her face tightened. Her heart pounded wildly. Her hands trembled as she tightened her grip on her staff while she closed the distance. The Blue Lizard still showed no sign of awareness.

'Just a little closer… I only need to get a bit closer.'

Chelsie rotated her staff and angled the sharpened tip downward, preparing to strike from behind. Nalira's advice echoed in her mind—switch to a lighter staff. Without that change, her small body wouldn't have handled a stealth attack like this.

'This is it. My chance.'

Chelsie drove the tip of her staff forward with all her strength. The weapon pierced straight through the Blue Lizard's body. The creature died instantly. She didn't need to expend any extra energy.

[You have slain a Blue Lizard]

[You obtained: 1x Blue Lizard Scale] 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

[Ding!]

[Current Rank: 470 out of 500 participants]

"Ah… finally." Chelsie let out a long breath. "At least I managed to kill that Blue Lizard."

[An excellent tactic, Romani girl.]

"U-um… i-it was nothing," Chelsie shook her head quickly. "I learned this from Lira. She taught me how to disable enemies like this."

[That ice princess seems to have helped you a great deal.]

Chelsie nodded. "Y-yes. Even though Lira acts like that, she's actually someone who—"

Voices interrupted her mid-sentence. Chelsie froze. The sound came from behind a massive rock near her position. At first, she assumed it was a casual conversation and prepared to move away. Then one word reached her ears. Resistance. Her steps stopped instantly. Chelsie crept closer and pressed herself against the rock, listening carefully.

"Did you carry out the task exactly as the leader ordered?"

"Yes." The man chuckled with satisfaction. "I planted the bait perfectly. One of the Blue Lizards should walk straight into the trap."

"The mutation will trigger, and everything will proceed according to plan."

Chelsie's breath caught in her throat. 'M-mutation? What do they mean by that?'

She peeked through the narrow gaps between the rocks, trying to see them. Darkness swallowed the area. Poor lighting hid their faces completely. She only saw two unfamiliar silhouettes facing each other.

"Good. Then we should leave this place."

The two figures turned away and disappeared into the darkness. After the silence returned, Chelsie slowly stepped out from her hiding place. Confusion filled her face.

"Um… I don't understand anything they said." She scratched her head nervously. "What do you think, Carmen?"

[Romani girl… they have planned something dangerous.] Carmen spoke with tension in her voice. [You must find Shaan and Nalira immediately.]

Chelsie nodded firmly. "Y-yes. I need to find them right now." Her expression hardened. "They need to know about this."