Chương 226: B3 - Chapter 58: Prey

Jaz's massive warhammer came crashing down on Devus just as he landed before him. Seth's friend raised his shield just in time, catching the devastating blow head-on. Even so, the sheer force of the impact drove him backward, dropping him to one knee. Next, an axe and a broadsword flashed toward his exposed neck. Devus cast a spell to coat his armor in a thick layer of golden light, which thankfully absorbed most of the strike.

The remaining force still hurled him backward, sending him tumbling across the rain-soaked grass. Seth was already moving, heartbeat thundering in his ears. Beastmaster Rage erupted within him, the fierce energy flooding out of his chest. The surge tore through his aether channels, setting every muscle, bone, and nerve ablaze with savage force. With a thought, his bow materialized in his grasp. He slipped beneath sword swings and spear thrusts aimed at his head while trying not to break stride.

Aether surged through Ravenous Arrow's intricate grooves, and a translucent arrow almost instantly formed in his hand. Seth loosed the shot. The projectile tore through the rain in a silvery blur and punched cleanly through the chest of the imperial soldier closest to Devus, who was pushing himself up. Several attackers recoiled, heads snapping toward Seth as he was closing the distance.

"Use an Escape Scroll, Devus!" Elena shouted from the rear lines, her voice cutting through the din of battle. Devus let his spear fall into the mud and reached desperately for his Endless Pouch. He never got the chance to find a scroll. A fresh barrage of imperial attacks came his way, forcing him to abandon the attempt and defend himself instead. Heavy weapons and concussive spells hammered relentlessly against his barrier, thinning away the golden light before shattering the aether layer of his Protecting Belt.

His defense couldn't hold against the onslaught. Blood splashed across the Guardian's silver breastplate from a deep wound, yet he didn't yield. Meanwhile, Seth fought desperately to reach him. Imperial soldiers repeatedly threw themselves into his path, forcing him to dodge wild swings, shoulder-check one man aside, and slam another backward with his armored forearm. As he forced his way through the encirclement, aether surged through Ravenous Arrow's grooves once again.

Ahead, a thunderous roar exploded from Devus's lungs. The concussive shockwave blasted the surrounding skirmishers off their feet, hurling them backward. Only Jaz remained standing. The giant imperial Guardian had planted his boots deep into the ground while slamming the edge of his shield down to weather the blast.

"Die!" Jaz roared. He raised his warhammer overhead as arcs of lightning crackled across its surface, gathering for the killing blow. Before the weapon could descend, Seth's arrow hissed through the rain. It slammed into the barrier surrounding Jaz, shattered the spell in a burst of aether, and snapped the man's head back, stalling his swing. Seth kept running—his boots tore through the ground as he sprinted between soldiers and drew another arrow. Before Jaz could regain his focus, Seth released again.

An imperial soldier nearby crushed an Instant spell-scroll to summon a barrier in front of the giant Guardian. The layer of aether exploded. Seth's arrow punched through the hastily cast defense and struck Jaz's breastplate. Though it failed to penetrate the armor, the impact drove the Guardian several steps backward, pulling him away from Devus. Seth's friend seized the opportunity to continue his retreat. The Guardian rolled through the mud beneath an incoming longsword and sprang back to his feet.

More imperial soldiers surged forward to cut off his escape. To their dismay, Seth had finally reached them. He deflected a spear thrust with his guard, then reversed his grip onto the fresh Ravenous Arrow materialized in his hand. In a fluid motion, he spun and drove the translucent projectile into a soldier's neck. The man collapsed, blood spraying across the rain-soaked grass. Beastmaster Rage fueled Seth's body with might as he lunged at his next targets.

A punch caved in one soldier's sternum, an elbow crushed another's jaw, and another arrow pierced a third man's skull. Imperial soldiers were thrown aside like ragdolls, as though they were nothing more than Copper Wielders. Within seconds, Seth had carved out enough space for Devus to finally breathe. Jaz roared and charged through the chaos, yet Seth drew and released another Ravenous Arrow.

The imperial Guardian barely managed to raise his shield before the projectile exploded against it, carving a web of deep cracks across its surface and forcing the Guardian back another step. Behind him, Celess lifted her staff. Blue flames spiraled around the weapon as blazing aether gathered at its tip. At the same moment, several nearby imperial soldiers crushed Instant spell-scrolls to join the onslaught.

A raging sphere of fire erupted from Celess's staff and screamed through the rain toward Seth and Devus, followed by a storm of wind blades, lightning bolts, and aether blasts. Just when the barrage was about to reach them, Colossus arrived. The giant scorpion unleashed Explosive Bastion to meet the attacks head-on. The two forces collided in a explosion, scattering fire, lightning, and compressed wind in every direction. At the same moment, Nightmare burst from the shadows.

Dark aether billowed from his maw as he activated Gloom Fangs, ripping through the throat of the nearest soldier before the man could react. Desert Aegis' area of effect now encompassed Devus and Seth, boosting their Toughness significantly. Arrows and spells that now struck them barely inflicted any serious injuries. Crossing his gauntlets, Seth stopped two broadswords aimed at the Devus with a deafening metallic impact before pushing the assailants back.

With a thought, he summoned Lumi from the teardrop necklace. The luminous otter glanced at Seth, then at the Imperial soldiers surrounding them, before finally turning toward Devus. She hesitated, then darted to the wounded Guardian. A blue radiance blossomed around her as she cast her spell. Light washed over Devus's body, knitting together the wound across his torso and healing the worst of his injuries.

"Fall back to Elena's position!" Seth shouted over the deafening chaos. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

"What about you?" Devus grunted, raising his battered shield to deflect another overhead strike.

"I'm going to crush them." Seth charged straight at Jaz and the cluster of imperial soldiers around the man. Teal aether surged from his gauntlets to form the skeletal arms of Armored Phantom Fists, while Beastmaster Rage still thundered through his chest and flooded his body alongs with Seth's core. The primal power of the latter demanded blood. It urged him to slaughter everyone before him and tear them apart. Jaz answered with a grin.

The giant Guardian barreled forward like an avalanche, dense aether gathering around his plate armor as every of his steps shook the ground. Seth met him head-on and punched at the man's shield. A deafening shockwave erupted from the collision, throwing nearby soldiers off balance while cannon shells continued to explode around them. Seth followed up by driving his fist into the side of Jaz's head. A shimmering layer sprang into existence around the Guardian, conjured by one of the soldiers nearby.

It shattered under the anti-barrier effect of Seth's Undead spell. The impact launched Jaz clean off his feet, hurling him across the muddy battlefield before he crashed into the ground. Behind, Devus continued retreating beneath the protection of Colossus, the healing of Lumi, and the support of Nightmare, while the doppelganger created by Twin Mirages pounced upon the nearest Imperial soldiers. Seth shifted his attention back to Jaz.

Several soldiers had gathered in front of the Guardian, weapons raised in a desperate attempt to protect him. Seth stepped forward, his boots sinking into the mud as he crossed into the field of the Stabilizer Obelisk right next to Celess. The woman was staring at him in terror—as if he were a bloodthirsty monster. She wasn't wrong. Not taking his eyes off her, Seth reached into his Endless Pouch and withdrew one of the Instant spell-scrolls he had taken from Morsh's corpse.

He activated it without giving them a chance to react. Shadows exploded from the piece of parchment, and darkness swallowed the surroundings in a suffocating sphere of black, yet Seth moved through the gloom as though it were broad daylight. Ignoring Jaz, he charged straight for Celess. The nearby Imperial guards sensed his murderous intent and desperately threw themselves into his path. It didn't matter.

Seth slipped effortlessly between their panicked attacks and counted with heavy punches, each of them caving in a breastplate or crushing a ribcage. Death was inevitable. With the Strength boost of Beastmaster Rage and Armored Phantom Fists, Seth's blows were unstoppable. None of the soldiers could hope to withstand them. Celess gritted her teeth and slammed the butt of her staff into the muddy ground, blue flames erupting beneath her feet.

A raging inferno spread outward in every direction and engulfed the battlefield around her. The fierce fire consumed friend and foe alike, washing over nearby Imperial soldiers and leaving them screaming as blue flames clung to their armor. She was willing to sacrifice her own men if it meant stopping Seth. Yet it was all for nothing. The moment the wall of fire reached him, Seth cast Shadow Step and vanished. He reappeared beside Celess, fist flying toward her jaw.

A translucent barrier flashed into existence around her, yet it shattered, failing to slow the blow in the slightest. A savage smile spread across Seth's face as his knuckles closed in on her once-so-proud face. Then a blinding light surged from the pendant around the woman's neck. Seth barely had time to react before something crashed into his chest. The impact ripped him off his feet and hurled him backward through the mud. A towering construct of pale stone now stood in front of Celess.

Its body was carved from interlocking slabs of granite with blue veins that pulsed through the cracks like molten aether. Its jagged shoulders, each larger than a man's head, supported arms thick as Seth, while a red crystal glowed within its chest. Seth cast Intermediate Identify on the newcomer.

Boulder-strewn Golem Potential: Gold Tier Rank: 60 (Peak-Iron) Affinity: Earth Strength: 123 Arcane Power: 96 Toughness: 181 Well Capacity: 121 Agility 91 Regeneration: 97 Seth's eyes landed on the Gold Potential for less than a second, then he exploded forward. With Beastmaster Rage, it doesn't stand a chance. Around them, imperial soldiers crushed scrolls to unleash shrieking gusts of wind in an attempt to disperse the darkness, yet they accomplished nothing.

The shadows remained firmly anchored to the battlefield, unlike the mist of Night Veil.

"Use your aoe spells!" Celess shouted.

"You'll kill our own men!" Jaz roared back. She ignored him and swung her staff to send out a torrent of blue flames in what she hoped was the right direction. Jaz charged forth with his shield raised and hammer ready, but Seth had already slipped to the left. As he sprinted, he discreetly refilled his Well from his Fine Storing Ring. His eyes remained locked on the towering stone construct that was guarding Celess. Sensing the danger, the golem moved first.

Its massive arms rose as swirling sand and condensed quartz rushed around its body, layering into a dense, fortress-like armor of stone. It threw a punch, which to Seth appeared agonizingly slow. With Beastmaster Rage and Huntbound Overflow coursing through him, the creature seemed to move in slow motion. He slipped effortlessly past the lumbering strike and crashed into the golem before it could bring back its arm again. Seth's fists turned into a blur. Each punch sent chunks of stone into the rain.

Quartz shattered. Sand scattered outward. The reinforced armor crumbled in no time beneath the relentless barrage. The golem swung again while simultaneously attempting to cast a spell. It made no difference. The creature had clearly never been fed a Seed, and despite its Gold Potential, if its master had never pushed it into life-and-death battles the way Seth had with Nightmare and Colossus, it had likely never acquired a single Gold spell.

Before the golem could finish its second swing, Seth had already pulverized the armor protecting its chest. The glowing core lay exposed, so he drove his fist straight through it. The creature burst into a thousand jagged fragments. Behind him, Celess barely reacted to the death of her contracted beast—which made Seth grit his teeth. How can she care so little about its death? Without a flicker, the woman tore a scroll from her belt and activated it before he could cast Identify.

A surge of raw aether erupted from the parchment and shot outward. The concussive blast forced Seth several steps backward, boots carving furrows through the mud. Jaz charged through the darkness, closing enough of the gap to see Seth. The Guardian's massive warhammer crashed down from above as thick arcs of lightning crackled around the weapon's head. Seth crossed his forearms over his head just in time. The weapon slammed into his gauntlets, sending a violent tremor through his bones.

Behind the giant Guardian, Celess had already channeled another spell. Streams of blue fire tore through the rain toward him. Seth twisted his body, dropping one shoulder as the blazing projectiles hissed harmlessly past him. Jaz then let out a taunting roar to prevent him from rushing over to reach Celess again. The sound plunged into Seth's ears, carrying a powerful compulsion that sought to lock every muscle in his body. A smile spread on his face, and his Unshackled Bracelet flared with silver light.

The artifact dispersed the spell before it could take hold. Without missing a beat, Seth cast Shadow Step to reappear beside Celess. His teal-clad fist tore through the air in her head's direction. A loyal soldier nearby crushed a scroll at the last possible moment to wrap the woman in a thick barrier of shimmering golden light. But to the man's despair, just like the other spells, it wasn't enough. The conjured spell gave in beneath Armored Phantom Fists.

Seth's hook whistled through the collapsing fragments of light and slammed into Celess' arm, which she had raised just in time to protect her face. Seth's punch landed with tremendous force. Bone shattered with a sickening crack. The impact lifted Celess completely off her feet and hurled her across the rain-soaked clearing. She groaned in agony as she rolled to a stop, then began scrambling through the mud. Her trembling hand plunged into her Endless Pouch and emerged clutching a tightly rolled parchment.

Seth recognized the scroll immediately. Escape. Right on cue, an arcane shell descended from the gray sky onto the far-left flank and obliterated the closest obelisk. Seth grinned. Seizing his chance, he activated his Distortion Rod. Dense aether pulsed from the artifact to lock down the surrounding space. Celess' eyes widened in horror. The glow that had been surrounding her Escape Scroll flickered and died.

She let it fall into the mud and turned to flee on foot, holding her broken arm in pain while stumbling through the chaos. Seth gave chase. Behind him, Colossus, Nightmare, Lumi, Devus, Elena, and the rest of the squad held their ground against the relentless assault of the Empire. Kastal reinforcements had crashed into the enemy's flank, throwing the battle into even greater chaos. Even with Seth occupying dozens of elite soldiers by himself, the outcome still hung precariously in the balance.

More explosions reverberated across the battlefield. Columns of mud and blood erupted around Seth as he relentlessly closed the distance between him and the Empress' daughter. Desperate to survive, Celess shoved several of her own soldiers into his path, sacrificing loyal men one after another for a few more seconds of life. Then a deafening roar thundered across the battlefield, powerful enough to shake the rain-soaked ground beneath their feet. Seth instinctively glanced over his shoulder.

Two towering figures burst through the sphere of darkness behind him. Both were engulfed in a seething aura of rage-infused aether. Jaz led the charge, and right beside him thundered a monstrous bear covered in iron-like fur. Thick strands of saliva dripped from its massive jaws as it roared. The Guardian's and his beast's blood-red eyes locked onto Seth.