Overgeared: Saharan Successor

Chapter 49: Braham The Boob Lover

After ending the call with the guild members, he checked to see what Elyse and Malfurion were doing around the Laboratory. It wasn't much; they just talked to themselves while giving him space to hold his talks. 

"Hey, you two," Odin called, waving a hand as he stood by the pillar. "Just wrapping things up. How are you holding up?"

Elyse turned, her amber eyes brightening at his presence. "We're good! We are just brainstorming ideas for how to improve ourselves. Mal and I discussed some strategies to converse mana when in fights."

"Sounds promising," Odin replied, offering them a quick smile before moving on to his call with the Crystal Queen. "Keep it up. I'll be in touch."

Afterward, he moved to a private call with Ellyssaria, as he wanted to update her in depth about the situation inside the Labyrinth and his encounter against the Guardian of the Labyrinth, along with the additional lore insights he gained about this ancient location, which has its origins from a so-called 'Silver Age'.

"Mat! How much Mana Stones do you think we can mine? Just in case, but I want to make plans for the Quest Progression for my Frost Monarch Class since the Tower Master is not budging from initiating the Questline until I'm not contributing the points."

"Easy, easy, I haven't scouted too deep, but this Labyrinth sits beneath a Ley line. I'm sure we get Mana Stones for days. Besides, glad to see you're as eager as ever," he replied, settling into the call. 

Ellyssaria's excitement was palpable, even through the crystal. "Days, you say? That's what I like to hear. Glad to see you're as sharp as ever."

"I wanted to share everything I learned during my exploration, especially about the Guardian of the Labyrinth."

"Go on," Ellyssaria urged, leaning closer, her attention fully captured.

Managing to calm her down, Odin began sharing his experience, from how the murals painted a glorious past for this Ancient Race that managed to fight even against Dragons to moving his fight against the Iron Golems, which made Ellyssaria laugh, mocking him for being a 'meathead'.

Ellyssaria hummed, her tone intrigued. "Fascinating. An entire race capable of battling dragons… that explains the labyrinth's defenses. And the Guardian?"

Odin couldn't help but grin. "The Guardian was an Iron Golem series, but far stronger than the basic version. It was a tough one to crack since it took a lot to bring it down, though you'll get a kick out of this—at one point."

"I got battered because I wasn't paying attention. Guess that's what I get for mocking mages."

Ellyssaria laughed. "You deserved it. Mages are far more resourceful than you give us credit for."

"Sure, but you mages also go down like some faulty batteries from the black Chinese market," Odin teased, his grin widening.

Ellyssaria's laughter softened but didn't fade entirely. "Well, maybe now you'll appreciate us a bit more."

Odin shifted, his tone growing more reflective. "There's more. After the Golem, I stumbled onto some treasure chests, one of which held something special—a pair of gloves. But that's not all." He paused, letting the weight of his following words settle. "I encountered Braham."

The mention of the legendary Archmage immediately shifted the tone of the conversation. Ellyssaria's initial amusement faded, replaced by disbelief and curiosity. "Braham? As in the Braham? The Archmage who vanished centuries ago? His spells were thought to be lost. How could you have met him?"

Odin smirked, knowing he had her attention now. He cleared his throat, affecting a more grandiose tone. "Yes, Elly. I would remain a frog in a well if not for the great Archmage imparting his vast knowledge."

Ellyssaria's confusion was evident. "Mat, are you role-playing? You're starting to sound a bit... different."

With a discreet glance toward Malfurion and Elyse to ensure they weren't listening, Odin quickly sent Ellyssaria a direct message, typing it out.

⤷ Odin: I'll tell you more once I'm out of here. I'm in RP mode for reasons.

She quickly typed back:

⤷ Ellyssaria: Got it, you nerd. Don't overdo it or Braham might see through your act, haha.

Out loud, Odin continued with an exaggerated tone. "The Archmage Braham has gifted me spells beyond what you can imagine. His teachings have elevated my understanding of magic to unparalleled levels."

As proof, Odin sent her a screenshot of his newly acquired Magic Missile (Enhanced). A moment of silence followed, punctuated only by the faint hum of the crystal link.

Ellyssaria's laughter broke the silence once more. "Hahaha! Poor Odin, duped by Braham! Did he teach you a Magic Missile? That's like... a level 5 spell!"

But her amusement quickly turned to astonishment as she clicked on the details. Her voice, now a mix of confusion and awe, filled the crystal. "Wait... How is this a Magic Missile? It's 200% of your AP?"

"This... this is unreal!"

"Do you have the Skill Book for it? Mat, please, you have to share the spell with me. I swear I'll slave myself for another month. I'll be your best Magic Carriage and power level you until you hit level 140 if you let me get my hands on this."

Odin chuckled, shaking his head. "I can't share the spells, not yet anyway. Braham's magic isn't something I can pass around freely. I still need to unlock more of his teachings, and for that, we'll need to clear more labyrinths across Nihilaine."

Ellyssaria let out a long sigh. "Ahh, that's disappointing. Still, Archmage Braham, if you hear me—" she spoke more loudly, hoping to address the archmage's soul somehow. 

"Know that I'm a big fan! I've read all the grimoires on your exploits, especially where you humiliated that fire reptile, Trauka."

Odin stifled a laugh at her blatant attempt to butter up the legendary mage.

'Shrewd Ice Fox, she's trying to butter her ass into Braham's good graces.'

⤷ Odin: What do you think you're doing? Are you trying to steal food off my plate?

⤷ Ellyssaria: Hey, it's worth a shot! A girl's gotta dream, right?

⤷ Odin: Can't let you do this to me. Hah, jokes aside, I'll try to get the Skill Book version to share it with you and Eve.

⤷ Ellyssaria: Hmm, and who'll get first dibs?

⤷ Odin: If Eve wants it, she'll get it first. If not, I'll consider you. Gotta play fair.

Ellyssaria's voice returned to its calm, businesslike cadence. "Understood, Mat. Don't forget to keep me updated on anything new from Braham."

"I will. Be at ease."

"Ahh, yes. I almost forgot! Archmage, please remember me. I'll be the strongest frost mage in the world."

Before Odin could respond, a deep, prideful voice cut through the communication; it belonged to Braham's. 

His tone was tinged with his natural arrogance. 

[Your flattery is noted, young frost mage. But know this. My legacy isn't for idle praise. Prove your worth, and perhaps my knowledge will reach you.] 

While Braham sounded prideful and arrogant, deep down, he got curious about how Odina and this 'Elly' woman, who claims herself to be a Frost Mage, were communicating. It felt similar to a Mana Talk Sphere, which some Tower Mage from the Tower of Sun had constructed when he was still a Vampire in his early 200s.

'I wonder if it works like that 'Mana Talk Sphere'?'

Ellyssaria gasped audibly. "Did… did he just speak to me?"

Odin smirked, cutting the call with a final line. "Bad, sly ice fox. Teacher, don't listen to her. She's full of it. Not too long ago, she couldn't even cast a proper frost-bolt without my tutorials."

Ellyssaria's indignant response came quickly. "Hey! That was just a bug! You—"

Odin cut her off with a mockingly dramatic tone. "I'll have the final word here. Catch you next time, Elly. And don't forget about the Portal at the Labyrinth. You might need it soon."

With the conversation finally over, Odin ended the call, the crystal's soft glow fading as he tucked it into the system's interface. He turned to Malfurion and Elyse, who were both waiting near the laboratory's exit, watching him expectantly.

"All set," Odin said, feeling the weight of Braham's presence still lingering in the air. "Time to head out."

Elyse glanced at him curiously. "So, what's next? We're climbing back out from that trap hole?"

Odin shook his head, glancing toward the complex arcane formations in the lab that had been Braham's playground. "Braham gave me a faster way out. It turns out we don't have to torture you, Malf."

Malfurion, who had remained mostly quiet during the earlier exchange, breathed a breath of relief. His expression softened as he glanced at Elyse, who stood poised and relaxed. "Good. I couldn't take Elyse with me in my Owl form anyway. I'd probably collapse halfway."

"Come on, Malf, you could at least try. It's not like I'm that heavy." She stretched her arms behind her, feigning innocence. "Besides, you're a druid. Aren't you supposed to be able to fly or whatever?"

Malfurion sighed, shaking his head. "You don't understand how it works. My current owl form is… well, let's just say it's not designed for carrying passengers. You'd weigh me down too much. I can barely fly for long distances as it is."

"Then just turn into a bigger owl," Elyse teased, nudging him with her elbow. "Problem solved."

"Yeah?" Malfurion shot back, rolling his eyes. "I wish it were that simple. I need to get back to my druid trainer in Titan for upgrades. You think I want to be stuck in this tiny form? I'd be soaring across the skies by now if I could."

Odin chuckled as he watched the two bicker. "If it makes you feel better, Malf, we don't need your owl form to get out. Braham's provided an alternative route."

Malfurion looked skeptical, glancing around the laboratory. "I don't see any doors or shortcuts. How exactly are we getting out of here?"

At that moment, Braham's voice echoed in Odin's mind again, laced with the same pride and arrogance that had marked their earlier exchanges. [You forget, child, that the simple conventions of mortal design do not bind my laboratory.]

[You will not need to climb or fly. Instead, I've provided access to one of my secret passages. Use the teleportation sigil embedded beneath the central dais.]

[It will take you directly to the upper levels of the labyrinth.]

Odin's eyes flicked toward the center of the room, where a large stone dais lay, partially covered in the glowing blue symbols and runes that Braham had inscribed long ago. 

Malfurion noticed Odin's focus shift and followed his gaze. "A teleportation sigil?" he asked, his brow furrowing. "I didn't even see that when we first came in."

Odin smirked, walking toward the dais. "That's because Braham only just granted us access. Now that I've accepted his soul, he's letting me use his private escape route. Convenient, huh?"

Elyse folded her arms, watching as Odin approached the dais. "I'm not complaining. Anything to avoid hiking back through those endless tunnels." She glanced at Malfurion with a teasing smile. "And save our poor druid from overexerting himself."

Malfurion shot her a mock glare but couldn't help the small smile that crept onto his face. "You act like I'm fragile."

Odin placed his hand on the central rune of the dais, feeling a faint surge of energy pulse through his fingers. "Everyone ready?" he asked, glancing back at his companions. "This'll take us straight to the upper levels."

Malfurion and Elyse stepped forward, standing beside him on the dais. "Ready as I'll ever be," Malfurion muttered, glancing warily at the glowing sigils beneath their feet.

Elyse nodded, her amber eyes gleaming with anticipation. "Let's get out of here."

[User has consumed 5000 MP to activate the Teleportation Sigil.]

With a single thought, Odin activated the sigil, and the entire room seemed to hum with ancient energy. 

A soft blue light enveloped the trio, and for a moment, everything around them dissolved into shimmering fragments of magic. The sensation was disorienting but not unpleasant, as if they were being pulled gently through space.

Then, with a sudden jolt, they reappeared on the upper floors of the labyrinth, standing in one of the broader corridors. The familiar cool air of the labyrinth greeted them, and the sound of patrolling golems could be heard in the distance.

"Well," Odin said, stepping off the now dormant teleportation sigil, "that was easier than I expected."

Malfurion looked around, clearly relieved. "I could get used to that."

Elyse stretched her arms above her head, looking refreshed. "I'll admit, that was pretty smooth. Far better than the Portals in the Tower of Sun."

Odin's system interface blinked to life again, displaying a new notification.

[Golem Control: Administrative Access Unlocked]

'Hmm? Mister Braham? Is that you pulling a prank on me? I was ready to test your Magic Missile and Arcane Explosions.'

Braham's voice echoed in his mind, full of its usual pride. [Since you have accepted my soul, I have decided to give you administrative powers over the golems I have created.]

Another system window popped up, this time displaying a list of golems under Odin's command; 58 Iron Golems, the ones fortunate enough to have avoided Odin and his team earlier, stood ready, awaiting his orders.

Odin let out a low chuckle, eyes gleaming with anticipation. "So now I'm in control, huh?" 

He wasted no time, opening the control interface and examining the new options before him. A map of the labyrinth unfurled across his vision, marked with several nodes representing the golems' patrol routes and positions.

His fingers moved deftly as he adjusted the paths and formulas for the golems' patrols. "Let's see... 22 for tunnels A and C," he murmured. "And for tunnel B, the shortest path to the laboratory, I'll place 24 golems. That should slow down any unwanted guests."

"Adding onto Xoroth's undead and ghouls, along with Rogues and Veradin's Curses and Evil Spirits, this will make the Labyrinth an unbreakable fortress for those foolish maggots."

Elyse, noticing the gleam in Odin's eye, raised an eyebrow. "You're having way too much fun with this."

Malfurion peered over Odin's shoulder, curious. "What are you planning, Odin? That evil grin is a little unsettling."

Odin's grin only widened. "Just making sure anyone who tries to invade this stronghold is in for a rough time."

"I'm setting up the golems in teams of five per patrol, with seven on intermission duty. That way, when one team is attacked, another will back them up. It'll suppress the players before they even know what hit them."

The strategic map continued to update, showing the golems moving into new positions. Odin's smirk deepened as he wondered how the invaders would fare against his defenses. 

While doing that, Braham nodded to himself and decided to pass the entire Map for the Labyrinth that Odin didn't explore before stepping on the Magical Traps set by Braham.

Odin was satisfied with his pathing, not bothering with the Iron Golems' placement at the Labyrinth's beginning. Taking on this role of a Dungeon Master, he felt that with how the pathing of the patrolling golems would be in the three tunnels. 

He felt that sometimes, the Devs were quite lenient with how some dungeons were designed, but he wasn't a developer, so he couldn't tell how it felt. Still, the experience of being a DM for this Labyrinth had him exiting this Dungeon quite pleased with himself.

"Players won't stand a chance," Odin added, more to himself than to his companions. "It'll be like trying to fight a hydra. Cut off one head, and another will take its place."

Elyse folded her arms, watching Odin with amusement and concern. "You're getting into this, aren't you?"

Malfurion chuckled, shaking his head. "It's like watching a kid with a new toy."

Odin wasn't done yet. "I'm not even bothering with the placement of the golems at the beginning of the labyrinth. I'll focus on the deeper sections. Once players attack one of the golem teams, they'll be swarmed. It'll be like there's no tomorrow."

With the golem patrols now set, Odin stepped back, satisfied. He closed the control interface, the labyrinth map shrinking back into the system window. 

The experience of being in control, of setting up this intricate web of traps and defenses filled him with a new sense of accomplishment. It was almost like he had been given the keys to a kingdom and intended to rule it well.

"Well," Odin said, clapping his hands, "that's done. Time to head out."

The trio hiked through the labyrinth for about 35-45 minutes, following the route that led them back to the entrance. As they passed by the patrolling golems, the constructs remained motionless, their glowing eyes following Odin, Malfurion, and Elyse but making no attempt to hinder them.

With the full map of the Labyrinth revealed to Odin, they avoided the traps that had previously littered their path and the ones that sent him to an audience with King Hades, 

While the trek out was long, it was significantly easier than before. Finally, they reached the cavern, where Purphoros was left behind to guard the captured villagers who needed to be sent back into the arms of their families.

Odin took a deep breath as they stepped closer to the open air, the cool breeze a welcome change from the dense magic that had filled the labyrinth. "Well," he said, turning to his companions. "That was productive."

Elyse stretched, a smile playing on her lips. "Understatement of the year."

Malfurion, however, looked a bit more worn out, though a relieved smile softened his face. "It's good to have you on our side, Odin. Not many could have handled that mess as cleanly as you did."

Odin chuckled, but his attention quickly shifted as he noticed a familiar figure across the cavern. 

Purphoros stood near a group of villagers, regaling them with stories, mostly women who seemed to hang onto his every word. But what caught Odin's eye was one particular woman. 

A slender brunette in her late 30s with a certain graceful charm seemed to have captured most of Purphoros's attention. She was one of the villagers rescued, almost sacrificed in a goblin and troll summoning ritual.

Odin recognized her from before, a villager captured by the Goblins and Trolls who was supposed to be sacrificed in summoning a Demon.

Now, it seems she got extremely close to his Guardian Knight. 

The woman's proximity to Purphoros wasn't lost on Odin, nor was the way Purphoros's eyes lingered on her. She had the demeanor of someone who could have easily fit into the role of a nobleman's concubine, though her humble origins were evident.

Still, it didn't bother Odin, he was aware that this Fantasy World was set in a Medieval Fantasy World where Knights were looked up by those of a lesser status. In his eyes, Purphoros could do as he pleased as long as there was no unrest among the villagers. 

It seemed everything had remained peaceful in their absence, which was all that mattered.

'Huhu, he has made progress since I left him. Those ladies, for sure, want to get into his pants and get the glow-up of being together with a Knight. However, that kid still has a long way to go until he gets the finances to buy a house in a city or even a small border territory fief.'

[That woman has it in her.]

'Pardon, mister? You said something?'

[No. Just me rambling.]

'Look, you can talk with me if you want. I'm not the type to judge the kinks of others as long is not child porn or other gore shit.'

[Alright. If you, child, want me to open up, sure. That human got the big titties of an Orc woman, which I appreciate the most. If I had my body, I wouldn't mind taking her into my bed, copulating, and then sucking her blood after climaxing.]

 '... You're into blood drinking? That's not so sanitary, mister. You should drop that kink. If you want, I can teach you other ways of having fun. Like… teaching galls how to take it deep in their mouths. It's an art which many ladies tend to suck at.'

[By Yatan, no! In my glory days, I was a Vampire Duke. So many of those women groveled to my feet for favors, you can't even fathom.]

'Honestly? I can. Cause if I also can lay hundreds of those hot 10s if I put a post on Insta, but I have morals. I'm in a relationship.'

[Monogamous?]

'That's the way. So yeah, I'm monogamous.'

[Pathetic. You're losing out on so much. If you want to become my disciple, you'll need to learn my ways, too. As Rulers of this World, you have to learn to enjoy the fairer sex. Monogamy is for those with a bleak future who can't be anything but lowly peasants.]

[Are you a lowly peasant?]

'Heh, I know what you're trying to do. Leave it at that, mister. I've grown up with narcissistic parents, extremely manipulative. I required five years of therapy to fix the damage, and I'm still taking sessions once in a while.'

[What? You think I'm trying to manipulate you? Bah, is beneath this Great Mage.]

'Sure. Polygamy is for those with too much free time on their hands.'

[Doesn't it happen that when you fancy a woman, you want to make her yours? This explains why having more concubines is the correct choice.]

'Not really. You're talking about what's called an 'impulse'. That's an impulse, yes. I guess any male with a dick has that instinct.'

'However, in the end, it is just an impulse, an idea. It doesn't mean you have to act on it. We're no longer monkeys to stick our dick in whatever moves like the chimps who would fuck even cats.'

[You're referring to the evolutionary theory from 500 years ago, which mentions that we humans are the subjects of evolution and growth, with ancestors being some lowly monkeys? Haha, don't be foolish, child. That theory was debunked by Archmage Zedal Wyrmfrost.]

'... Debating science with a foggy is a bad idea. Scratch it. The theory of time travel back to the Medieval Era stays strong. Too many contradictions of ideas.'

[Are you insulting my intelligence by chance, child?]

[Favorability with Braham has decreased by 5 points.]

'I wouldn't dare. I was thinking that both of us have quite a contrast in views. Yet this makes things more interesting because we can learn more from each other, don't you think, mister?'

[Maybe? You should use the Assimilation more often since I want to have some of my own experiences.]

'Sir… You do seem like a Boobs man.'

[Aha. Let's forget about this topic, it feels quite barbaric to my fine tastes in life.]

[Favorability with Braham has increased by 5 points.]