Chương 225: B3 - Chapter 57: Sacrifice

Seth made his way back to the group, pushing through rain-soaked ferns before stepping into the clearing where the earlier ambush had begun. The ground was littered with imperial corpses. Devus spotted him first and lowered his battered shield against a root.

"What took you so long?" the Guardian asked, still breathing heavily.

"I wanted to make sure no one else was nearby," Seth answered. He would have to tell Elena—or perhaps Devus—about the assassin's offer before the battle reached its conclusion, but only under the protection of an Isolating Dome. If not the Spirit could overhear them.

"It's been a while since I've seen you use that rage spell," Selena said, carefully wiping the blood from one of her daggers.

"You looked terrifying," Marine added next to Brandon, pausing as if fighting a shiver.

"For a second, I thought you might come after us next." Seth and the others exchanged glances; they all knew Marine was exaggerating.

"It's the spell I modified last night," Seth explained.

"It's stronger now, and the cooldown is much shorter. The downside is that the strain afterward is a bit worse." Devus nodded approvingly.

"Worth it." A smile spread on his face.

"You and Nightmare tore through their vanguard like they were a bunch of Coppers. It was ridiculous." Nearby, Colossus cast an hopeful look toward Devus as Lumi hovered beside the scorpion, gently mending a shallow crack in his shell with a soft stream of cyan light. The Guardian chuckled.

"You too, Colossus. You were a monster out there." The giant scorpion lowered his head bashfully.

"Thank you!" Elena stepped forward, a serious expression on her face.

"In your message, you mentioned there were more of those artifacts that Jaxar described."

"There were." Seth recalled Nightmare, Lumi, and Colossus into the teardrop necklace.

"They're called Stabilizer Obelisks, and each one projects a field that suppresses distortion. The good news is that the radius of a single obelisk isn't very large, and they're not portable. They're roughly half the height of a man, so they can't be carried around easily like Distortion Rods." He paused.

"The problem is that they can link together. If enough Obelisks are deployed across an area, they create one continuous field."

"So they've basically made a section of the forest where we can't rely on Distortion Rods anymore," Henry said as he leaned against a tree trunk.

"Exactly," Seth replied.

"The issue is what comes with it. Inside that field, they can use as many Instant spell-scrolls and offensive artifacts as they want." Devus grimaced.

"But doesn't that work both ways? Couldn't we do the same to them?"

"We could," Elena answered before Seth could speak.

"But the empire has far deeper pockets than we do. If this turns into a contest of who can burn through the most ressources, we'll lose." Seth nodded.

"That's why we can't let them keep those obelisks standing."

"You destroyed an obelisk during your initial attack, right?" Elena asked.

"Yeah. The one on the edge of the formation." Henry glanced around at the corpses scattered across the muddy clearing.

"Then we just do it again. Today's operation couldn't have gone much better."

"They'll be ready for it next time," Elena cautioned, turning to Seth.

"I don't see how they won't be expecting us. It'll be much riskier. The moment they see you they will use dozens of spell-scrolls." Seth remained silent, weighing the possibilities and options.

"Then let's commit more people," Marine suggested.

"Yeah," Brandon added next to her.

"We can position ourselves much closer to you. If something goes wrong, we'll be near enough to reinforce you immediately." Seth shook his head.

"That's exactly what I'm worried about. If I have to pull back and they chase me, they might spot you all before we're in an ideal position." Devus scratched his chin for a moment before grinning.

"Then we prepare several fallback routes." The Guardian traced imaginary paths through the air with his thick fingers.

"And fill them with traps."

"We tried something similar during our last squad battle a few weeks ago," Henry said. His expression darkened.

"It didn't end well."

"That was different," Selena replied.

"Seth wasn't with us, and those enemies had those artifact orbs that sprayed fire everywhere and caught the ground ablaze. The rain here would prevent something like that." Elena turned to Seth, her emerald eyes meeting his gaze.

"What do you think?" Seth considered the idea for a moment before answering, "I'm not against it. Setting traps makes sense. But it would work much better if the rest of Kastal attacked at the same time." Devus frowned.

"Like Jaxar and the others coming with us?"

"Yes," Seth answered.

"If the Empire is forced to respond on multiple fronts, they'll have to spread out their strongest fighters. That means we won't be facing their full attention when we go after another Obelisk." Marine tilted her head.

"Using the other squads as a distraction? That's... a little heartless even from you." Seth looked at her without flinching.

"They're going to be fighting anyway. The only difference is whether they attack while we're breaking through the enemy's defenses, or wait for us to be dead." No one seemed to want to argue further. Elena folded her arms.

"The problem is convincing Jaxar. I don't think he'd launch another assault." Seth's eyes drifted to his Endless Pouch, where the communication orb Kaelen had entrusted to him was stored. He felt a thoughtful expression cross his face.

"I might have a solution." Seth remained crouched behind a dense patch of broad ferns, pelted by the rain that continued to pour from the sky. The tangled canopy high above offered little shelter, allowing sheets of cold water to punch through the leaves and drench his dark leather mantle. His eyes remained fixed on the imperial encampment ahead. Heavily armed patrols circled the perimeter, boots sinking into the churned-up mud, while the bulk of the army gathered within the center area.

Near the heart of the camp, numerous Stabilizer Obelisks pulsed with a steady thrum of aether, projecting their invisible field preventing distortion. Selena, Marine, and Henry hid at separate points around the clearing, enchanted arcane cannons stowed inside their Endless Pouches and ready to be deployed at a moment's notice. This would be the final battle of the war with the upcoming coup, Seth had no intention of holding back on their resources.

Each member of the trio had also stocked numerous high-grade Instant-Spell scrolls in case the battle turned against them. During the briefing, Seth had made one thing extremely clear: no one was to hesitate to escape from the Rift if their life was in danger. Unlike previous engagements, retreat remained an option thanks to the obelisks. If you come across this story on Amazon, it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

Devus, Elena, Brandon, and the remaining members of their party waited in tense silence, eyes fixed on Seth for the signal to attack, while he himself was waiting for Kaelen's message. The dark communication orb clutched in his gauntleted palm finally lit up. Kaelen: They're right on my tail. I should arrive with them in five minutes. Seth: Good. Seth raised his left hand, showing five fingers to the other hidden party members scattered throughout the brush.

Earlier, he'd instructed Kaelen to lure Jaxar and his men straight toward the imperial encampment. The king's grandson was notoriously hot-headed; if sufficiently provoked, he'd pursue the assassin through the forest without a second thought. The inevitable confrontation would then force the Imperials to act, creating the perfect opportunity to attack. Seth's attention returned to the imperial soldiers ahead.

Celess was nowhere to be seen, but it didn't take long for Seth to find Jaz of Ryswell near the center of the enemy base. The man wore a suit of heavy, interlocking plate armor that rivaled Drack's in sheer bulk, with a towering shield strapped to his left forearm. He chatted and laughed with the surrounding soldiers, seemingly unconcerned by the relentless rain soaking his long blond hair. The man was definitely going to be a problem.

While spells that ignored an opponent's Toughness were Seth's specialty, it was impossible to know how great the defense of the giant would be. If he had numerous Seeds like Morsh, wearing him down would be far more difficult than dealing with any other Guardian. Odds were that his armor was also from the Legendary grade. This fight would be troublesome, even without all the scrolls and artifacts the man could use thanks to the obelisks. He could also be a Legacy-Bearer, Seth mused.

It wouldn't be surprising with how many contribution points he has despite being a Guardian.

'That assassin could have had one too,' Nightmare replied.' And it didn't stop us from killing him.' The direwolf got a point. Seth had no way of confirming whether Morsh had possessed a Legacy. The extraction tool in his Endless Pouch could only harvest Seeds. Legacies were an entirely different matter. Even if the man had carried one, it would have rotted with his corpse. That was unfortunate. A Legacy was worth a fortune—far beyond the value of most Seeds.

People in Asethka would pay an astronomical price for one.

Trading it could have secured him more Seeds, resources, or favors that would have taken years to earn otherwise.' I should have ripped that human's chest apart,'Nightmare added.' Then we could have seen if we could harvest those that way.'

'But we don't even know whether beasts can safely use them or not,' Seth replied.' If Legacies are left behind by powerful Wielders, do you really want your consciousness nudged down a Path forged by a human?'

'As if I'd ever let some pathetic human control my glorious Path,' Nightmare scoffed, his pride flaring through their bond.' Do you think I could get that person's Seeds?' Colossus asked.

'If they are a good fit for you,' Seth answered.' But we have to kill him first.' His eyes never left the towering Guardian standing at the center of the Imperial formation. With those obelisks shielding him, he can use an Escape Scroll the moment he's cornered. Seth remained still behind the cover of the ferns, waiting for the silence to break. At any moment, Jaxar and his soldiers would collide with the imperial defenses.

The coming battle would be pure chaos, with both sides free to unleash as many Instant spell-scrolls as they wanted.

If all went according to plan, Seth and his party would destroy at least a few of the perimeter obelisks early in the fighting, giving him the opportunity to use his Distortion Rod and seal the battlefield. A flicker of movement caught his eye on the far-left flank. Kaelen burst from the trees, sprinting through the pouring rain with effortless agility as he weaved between the roots. A massive wave of Kastalian soldiers thundered after him, weapons drawn, the thud of their boots echoing through the forest.

Shouts erupted from the imperial formation.

"The Kastal forces are here!" one of the perimeter guards bellowed, raising his spear.

"To arms!" In response, the thunderous roar of heavy artillery shook the battlefield. Three arcane cannons hidden deep within the Empire's fortified base fired in rapid succession. Large explosive shells ripped through the air and flew between the towering trees. The blasts missed the Kastal forces, but the concussive shockwaves alone were enough to make the vanguard step back in fear. Let's give them some courage. Seth burst from his hiding place, weaving between the thick trunks at full speed.

The loud, relentless rain masked the sound of his footsteps, and by the time an enemy noticed the blur streaking through the trees, the black edge of Seth's Dusk Scythes had already carved through his throat. The man's head tumbled from his shoulders.

"The maddened beast is here!" someone screamed from the defensive line. At that exact moment, a large orb of condensed ice streaked past Seth's hood, hurtling into the heart of a tightly packed group of Imperial soldiers. It detonated on impact and erupted into an explosion of frozen, razor-sharp shards that both shredded armor and slowed its targets. The thunderous boom of heavy cannons resonated through the forest once more. But this time, the barrage came from Kastal.

Arcane shells screamed in from Henry's, Selena's, and Marine's concealed positions on the left and right flanks, crashing into the Imperial formation. Thick layers of blue aether had flared around the Stabilizer Obelisks, ready to absorb the attacks exactly as Seth had anticipated. But the artifacts had never been the real target. The Empire's own artillery exploded under the pinpoint strikes. Shattered cannon fragments rained across the muddy battlefield, and the artillery crews were blasted away.

Seth had known the enemy would use its barrier scrolls to protect the obelisks. Rather than waste precious ammunition against those defenses, he'd given orders to eliminate the cannons instead.

"Deploy the reserve artillery!" an imperial officer roared, charging toward Seth with a heavy broadsword raised overhead. Devus stepped forward to meet him. Colossus also burst from the teardrop necklace to support the Guardian as both Quartz Armor and Desert Aegis flared to life. Hazel aether wrapped around Seth and Devus to boost their Toughness. Farther back, Elena remained with the Priest, her brother, and the other soldiers, unleashing a relentless barrage of spells from the rear.

Seth spared a quick glance toward the other Kastalian soldiers in the distance. The hesitation that had gripped them only seconds before was gone. Watching Seth carve into the imperial lines and seeing the enemy's artillery reduced to wreckage had reignited their fighting spirit.

"Charge!" Jaxar's voice thundered from behind them. The true clash finally began. Kastal's vanguard crashed headlong into the enemy defensive line, steel shrieking against steel as Seth and Nightmare tore ruthlessly through the opposition. Seth deliberately kept Beastmaster Rage in reserve. Instead, he flooded Huntbound Overflow with aether to boost his Agility high enough to weave through the storm of enemy blades.

To his right, Colossus thrust his massive tails forward and injected Deathcoil Venom into as many targets as he could while also blocking any soldiers who attempted to slip past him and toward Elena. Behind, the crimson-haired Ice Weaver raised both hands to conjure slabs of jagged ice that burst through the canopy before crashing into the Empire's formation. Protecting Belts flared to life across both armies, shining blue aether cutting through the rain just as countless spell scrolls ignited in unison.

Then the battlefield turned into utter slaughter. Roaring firestorms engulfed entire sections of the clearing. Lightning arced wildly through the air. Blasts of aether slammed into ranks of soldiers. Dozens of massive barriers surged up to intercept the onslaught, but they shattered within moments on both sides. Seth narrowed his eyes and darted through the carnage, slipping between spells and weapon strikes alike. Amid the deafening explosions, it was impossible to tell which side held the advantage.

He had to stop this chaos. His gaze locked on the nearest Stabilizer Obelisk that pulsed with aether under the rain. Destroying that node would reduce the danger to Elena and his party, so Seth sprinted straight for the humming obelisk. Shadow Step folded space around him, carrying him instantly to the base of the construct. He cut through the men protecting it and slipped past a thrusting halberd before knocking aside a broadsword.

Just as he pulled his arm back for the follow-up strike, a sense of unease crawled through his chest. His head snapped to the left. Jaz hadn't charged with the rest of the soldiers—the giant Guardian was falling back, retreating deeper into the heart of the Empire's defensive formation. Seth's brow furrowed. What is he doing? The dark blade of Dusk Scythe slashed through the center of the Stabilizer Obelisk, cutting the construct in two.

Not missing a beat, he activated his Distortion Rod to lock down the surrounding area before the Imperials could react. Then Seth spotted Celess. She stood only a short distance from Jaz, both of them well within the field of another obelisk. Seth's eyes landed on the scroll clutched tightly in her hand. Predator Talons Pull (Flawless) Instant Spell-scroll Tier: Iron Grade: Mythical A chill raced down Seth's spine.

"Kill that damn scorpion!" the Elementalist woman snarled, her voice cutting through the chaos of battle. The scroll in her grasp erupted with blinding light. Gigantic talons of white light burst from the parchment and flew toward Colossus with terrifying speed. Seth thrust out a hand toward his companion. Colossus instinctively cast Sandstorm Dome, and a swirling wall of sand erupted outward to intercept the attack. It did nothing.

The spell wasn't a projectile; the ethereal talons passed straight through the whirling barrier as though it didn't exist, not slowing at all. No! Seth's heart lurched. Just as the spell was about to grab the giant scorpion, Devus charged in with a deafening roar, hurling himself into its path and raising his shield to intercept the attack. The spell struck. But it wasn't meant to be blocked by steel. A violent vortex of wind erupted around Devus, seizing him with overwhelming force.

The unnatural pull tore the Guardian off his feet as though he weighed nothing. In an instant, he was dragged dozens of yards across the rain-soaked battlefield, boots leaving trenches through the mud before he was flung directly in front of Jaz and a dozen other imperial soldiers waiting with their weapons already raised.