Chapter 385: Critical Mission!

“So this is the first Village?” Victor asked as the tunnel seemed to come to an end, opening up to a huge cave chamber that contained the underground village. It was composed of several streets and buildings made out of black obsidian.

The entire area was lit by many light gems that shone from the 150-foot-high tunnel ceiling, making it appear as if it was right before sunset.

“Yes!” Alto nodded. “It is where the ores get collected before transporting them outside!”

Victor sighed as he looked around, he was really wondering what happened to this place in his past life. Although he was not 100% sure, he believed that this incident with the gate and the golems never occurred... Not this early anyway.

Approaching the village''s steel gate, the two muscular guards who were guarding it bowed respectfully while shooting Alto some envious looks after they noticed the badges on Victor and Zoe’s chests. Main family Elite Heirs!

“This way young master!” Alto said, guiding Victor through the main street where many miners bowed when he passed by while others chose to escape to the side streets to avoid him... Elite Heirs from the main family had a bad reputation here, as they basically can do whatever they want.

“Where should we rest?” Victor asked. He was not really tired, but he wanted to take his time and get familiar with this place.

“We will be heading to the administrative building, there is a VIP resting room there,” Alto said, guiding Victor and Zoe. “I need to make a report about our location...”

“Good...” Victor nodded. “Make sure to get me a recent map of the tunnels and a list of the locations of the last appearances of the golems!” he added. He should have got a tunnel from the entrance, but he totally forgot as he was busy watching Lin and Margret scam Abe.

“I understand...” Alto nodded.

“Let’s go then!” Victor said as he casually appraised everyone. While few had low concentrations of bloodline, most people had nothing special. They just seemed unreasonably fit and healthy for people who should be spending their lives in servitude underground.

It must be those gems...

Zoe who was beside him was also looking around. She seemed to be feeling a little relieved that the people here were not as desolate as she imagined them to be. She could see several big buildings on the main street, like a school and a hospital. A proof that the family was not that bad to those guys.

Reaching the fancily built administrative building, Alto excused himself to make a report to the manager here as Victor and Zoe were respectfully guided into a lavish reception room where they were not the first to arrive.

On one of the white leather couches in the room were three young men wearing black robes and busy harassing the pretty maids who were serving them. On their chests, two of them proudly hung their family token which was purple with two black lines going over it diagonally. The last had a silver token instead.

“The large two are elites from the second branch... The other guy is a second-ranked inner disciple,” Victor whispered to Zoe as they casually walked inside.

The Von Weise family was composed of one main branch which was the descendants of Victor’s great-grandfather, and 11 side branches which were the children of other ancestors who were powerful enough to establish a branch. Each one of those branches could nominate up to five elite heirs, those guys were equal to the heirs of the main family and had the chance to rise up and become elders, supreme elders or even fight for the patriarch''s seat!

Naturally, due to this, the relationship between those branches and the main family was usually very rigid and muddied with family politics.

As far as Victor remembered, of the branches only the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 6th, and 10th had any real power as they had supreme elders belonging to them... They usually had the capital to fight for the power in the family and turn their branch into the main one! Most of the other branches usually took sides with the big ones.

Cassius for example, Rita’s grandfather belonged to the 3rd branch which belonged to the black fraction. Frank Titus’s father the head of the External hall and the head of the 1st branch belonged to the white faction.

Zoe, who technically belonged to the main branch just looked at those guys with a frown as they harassed the maid. She was trying hard to remember who was the backer of the 2nd Branch. Uncle Falcon taught her those things before, but at that time she didn’t care.

Victor on the other hand, casually appraised the three. Their boss was a level 23 Black Knight.

The other two were a level 9 Archer and a level 19 Rogue, they were nothing special... No, wait, that weak-looking archer guy... His name was familiar. Zack Von Weise...

Victor frowned.

Wasn’t this the guy who caused Mike to get crippled in his previous lifetime?

Victor was not sure about how it happened, but according to the report he read, Zack was acting as Mike''s support in a dungeon when a swarm of scorpions attacked them, this guy shot Mike in the back with a paralyzing arrow and left him to be eaten alive as he escaped.

Thankfully Mike survived back then, but the damage he sustained caused him to lose both his legs and one of his eyes. Causing him to permanently lose the fight for the patriarch position.

As for Zack... He didn’t leave the dungeon and no one knew how he died.

“Todd...” one of the young men who was the first to notice Victor quickly nudged his friend who was busy bullying the maid to dance for them.

Todd, who seemed to be the boss of this group, looked back and noticed Victor as his friends stood up and bowed slightly... Todd didn’t. This was not a breach of the family''s protocol, as those guys were technically elite heirs too, and didn’t need to show respect to Victor and Zoe, still the man’s behavior was not very respectful as it was a piece of common knowledge to show respect to those of the main family!

“Oh... You are from the main family...” Todd said disrespectfully as he grabbed the maid and made her sit on his lap. She was obviously reluctant, but she didn’t dare to object... That''s what it looked like anyway.

Although many of the young maids and servants in the family dreamed that one of the heirs would fall for them or choose them, many had long learned to discern between those who were serious and those who were just playing around, like this Todd who would just dump this girl away or throw her to his men the moment he got bored with her.

If he was really serious about her, he would have branded her with his token. Giving her one of the 10 servant slots he had.

Victor who was carefully watching frowned a little then quickly hid it. The maid Todd grabbed was very pretty, all the others he saw here until now were average at best.

“We are from the main family! How did you know?” he asked as he found a comfy couch and then dragged Zoe to sit at his side. He didn’t seem upset.

“Your badge says so...” Todd replied without showing any annoyance about Victor playing ignorant, he was used to those of the main branch showing off and he knew how to deal with those. “My name is Todd, I belong to the 2nd branch, my father is Antoni, the Patriarch''s brother! And this is Pier, my cousin,” he said proudly, not caring to introduce his last cousin who seemed to be offended a little.

“Shit...” Victor paused. “Then I can’t do a thing...” Victor sighed and sat down.

For the next five minutes no one moved, only the sound of Victor sipping his refreshments could be heard.

“WAIT! IS THAT IT?” Pier finally flared.

“What’s what?” Victor asked.

“You are not going to pick a fight with us?” Pier asked.

“Why would I do that?” Victor asked.

“Because...” PIer looked at Todd, who nodded to him... That’s what he saw anyway. “Because we were ordered to make you do that!” Lier replied after getting an affirmation from Todd, who was in reality busy with the maid who was obviously not so reluctant anymore... Zack who was the weakest was already watching with his hand doing something lewd.

“Really? You too?” Victor asked. “I was ordered by my brother! Who ordered you?” Victor asked.

“We were ordered by Uncle Antoni!” Pier said proudly.

“Why?” Victor asked as if he was jealous.

“Ah... I don’t know... We were just told to target those of the main family and make them pick a fight with us and record it!” Pier said he really didn’t know.

“Oh...” Victor frowned and then raised one eyebrow. “If you are looking for a fight why did you bring a weakling like that Zack then?”

“To get beaten... That’s what Todd said....” Pier said.

“Oh... I see... Then is he Todd’s best friend or you are?” Victor asked as Zoe put her hand on her eyes while blushing.

“I am Todd’s best man!” Pier said. “Zack is just a lowlife!”

“Then why is Todd making him share and leaving you?” Victor asked with a strange look, the situation on the other couch was progressing in a direction he didn’t anticipate.

“Share?” Pier looked then gasped as he watched an R-rated scene unfold in front of him. The maid was no longer involved....

“Zack you piece of sh*t............” Pier shouted then started hitting Zack. “I was the one who got you the Critical mission ticket, yet you betray me like that...” he added as he watched the scene turn from a fight to something that Zoe should definitely not watch.

Even the maids, all of them, had long escaped.

Victor frowned hearing Pier’s last words.

He jumped from his seat, grabbed Zack’s pants that were now on the ground, and searched it taking out an envelope with CRITICAL MISSION on it, looking at it briefly then returning it before he turned and dragged flustered Zoe out of the room.

Although he planned to ask Todd a few things, that guy was no longer available, and Victor already got what he needed to know.

Critical missions were issued by the family when they needed something done no matter what, and they were usually only taken to those who were ready to die and desperately wanted to prove themselves.

Those missions held great rewards and merits if they succeeded, but the downside was that they were very hard and couldn''t be canceled or withdrawn after being issued.

It seemed like those idiots were using those missions to target the members of the main family. As if someone were to obstruct such a mission or a mission holder in the family they would severely punish him. And in case the obstruction caused the holder not to be able to complete his mission, the offender shall take it instead!

Zack’s mission was to investigate a very dangerous tunnel in the lowest level of the mines below. Too close to the Lava chamber.

If Victor or Zoe were to fight him, they would surely be implicated and forced to take on the mission! Not even the patriarch would be able to help them against the family rules!

The question was, why did they want them to go down there?

...

Just as Victor walked out, Alto, who seemed to have finished his business, ran to his side.

“Young master... Here is the map!” he said. “I already marked all the things you told me about on it... If you need anything else, just tell the maids to call me!” he said.

“Wait... We are already finished here...” Victor stopped him. “When did the branch family elites arrive?” he asked.

“Ahh... One week ago, the family called them to patrol the tunnels!”

“Are they part of the assessment?” Victor asked.

“I am not sure...” Alto told the truth.

“I see... Let’s go, I want to visit my brother then we''ll head deep...” Victor said then turned to the still shocked Zoe. “If you need to use the restroom now is your chance...” he told her.

“Pervert...Bastards...” Zoe, who was still wondering what the hell happened in that room, hurried away with a blush.