Chương 183: Chapter 180 - Before the Main Force

"Sergeant Edward, we have discussed the various rune experiments you have conducted, and by now, I can tell that you understand what we are trying to determine. So I will be direct. What do you think about human experimentation?" After I had answered nearly all the questions from Lady Flavia and the lieutenant, Captain Petrae finally cut in and asked the question directly, surprising both of his companions, and even Lela and Leif. I sighed in relief.

I was tired of them asking the same thing in roundabout ways and going in circles.

"Honestly, Captain, it would be a lie to say that I am completely against human experiments. They are important, and if you are creating something that will be used on or by the majority of humans, human testing eventually becomes necessary." Before continuing, I paused for a moment as Lady Flavia's eyes widened. She clearly had not expected me to defend human experimentation.

"But the important point is that it should be the final stage, when you are at least eighty to ninety percent certain that you will not harm the people participating in the experiment. More importantly, the people participating should understand the risks and willingly choose to take part." I almost cited the rules for human trials from the modern world. And in a world where people were desperate for power, I was sure many would jump at the chance to gain it, even if there was a risk of losing their lives.

"Hmm." Before Captain Petrae could say anything else, a deafening explosion cut off the conversation. BOOOOOOOM! The entire manor shook, and the room's windows shattered. We all shot to our feet. I activated my sensing skill. The first explosion was followed by another, then another. This time, they came from different directions, some distant, others far too close. Just as I was about to make a run for the door, I sensed a large section of the ceiling collapsing above us.

Almost instinctively, I activated Mana Shield to protect my squad, since they were the closest people to me. But it was unnecessary. By the time I finished forming the shields, Captain Petrae had already used earth mana to stabilize the entire room. Everyone in the room, including me, looked at his face, searching for answers. But none came. He simply stood there and closed his eyes. A moment later, a huge amount of mana poured out of him, spreading through the surroundings.

We all waited for him to tell us what was happening, but with each passing second, it became increasingly clear that someone was trying to kill everyone inside this building. Finally, Captain Petrae opened his eyes and looked at me, Leif, Lela, and the lieutenant.

"Sergeant Edward's squad, Student Leif, Lela, and Lieutenant, follow me. We are in grave danger, and we will need as many soldiers as we can find. I do not know the full extent of the damage or who is behind it, but from what I can sense, I can assure you that our lives are in danger." Then he turned to Lady Flavia.

"Flavia, you stay here. I have reinforced this room. It might be one of the safest places in the town right now."

"But, Uncle—""No. These are my orders as the highest-ranking member of House Petrae present. I need you safe so you can help manage the aftermath of this situation. If I have to worry about the safety of House Petrae's younger generation, my efficiency will decrease." After saying that, Captain Petrae opened the door. Dust and small pieces of debris fell from the frame as it moved. Beyond it, the corridor was almost unrecognizable. Cracks ran through the walls. Broken beams hung from the ceiling.

Less than fifty meters away, the floor had caved in on both sides, cutting off the usual exits. Captain Petrae took a deep breath. The debris blocking the corridor began to crumble into dust. Then that dust flowed toward him, wrapping around his body layer by layer until it formed earth golem-like armor around him. Within thirty seconds, the corridor was open. Four bodies lay on the floor beyond the cleared debris.

Before I could check whether they were alive or dead, I sensed a huge amount of fire mana approaching from above. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Through the broken roof and the newly cleared corridor, a burning figure flew toward us.

"Torquatus, what is going on?" Captain Petrae asked. Torquatus stopped in front of us. As the fire surrounding him subsided, I saw a massive wound stretching across his upper torso.

"What happened?" Captain Petrae asked, his expression tightening.

"You were right. There really is a Tier-5 involved," Torquatus said, pointing at his wound.

"This is the result of one casual attack from him, and he was still in the middle of setting up his domain."

"Does this mean Frosthallow's army is already here?"

"No," Torquatus replied.

"But on my way here, I sensed widespread chaos throughout the town. In the middle of that chaos, several groups are trying to take control." Captain Petrae shook his head.

"Tell me everything from the beginning."

"Just before the explosions started, I sensed someone flying over the town," Torquatus said.

"I informed Scaevola and Caeso, then went ahead to investigate." He grimaced, glancing down at his wound.

"Long story short, that flying bastard is a Tier-5 from Frosthallow, and he is responsible for this damage. To make matters worse, we are trapped inside the town. We have a large number of mercenaries trying to seize control from within, while a Master-level Tier-5 blocks all exits."

"Have you tried communicating with Stonegate or headquarters?"

"I did, but the domain is interfering with it." Captain Petrae, whose entire body except his face had now taken on a golem-like appearance, clenched his fist. A few grains of sand fell from it.

"Tellus," Torquatus whispered, as if afraid that saying the words too loudly would make them true, "do you think the Tier-5 will enter the town?" Captain Petrae shook his head.

"Entering the town would weaken his domain enough for us to escape, and he wants to keep us contained. If we escape, then even if the town falls, Frosthallow will have to defend it by force. But if I am captured, the town can be exchanged for my life." The Captain sighed and looked upward.

"Which is regrettable." Then his expression hardened.

"Let's go. We need to respond as quickly as possible. If we lose a town before Frosthallow's main forces even arrive, we will not have any fighting chance left." We followed the Captain through the manor, checking every room along the way. As he cleared the blocked passages and doors, I checked the bodies lying on the ground. Most were already dead, but a few were still breathing. I treated those I could using the potion Captain Petrae had given me, making the process as quick as possible.

But because of the lack of time, I could only help the ones who could be saved quickly. Some were too severely injured. No matter how much I wanted to stop and treat them properly, we could not afford to delay. So I had no choice but to leave them dying on that floor and keep moving. After clearing three rooms, we reached the room where the Captain's friends, Scaevola and Caeso, were supposed to be.

As soon as we entered, Senior Lieutenant Caeso shouted, "Tellus, Torquatus, move that section of the roof off Scaevola very slowly. I am keeping him alive for now, but if he suffers sudden blood loss, I will not be able to save him." Caeso was lying on the floor, his legs crushed beneath the fallen roof. Only Scaevola's hair was visible under the debris, but both of them were covered in silver liquid.

Captain Petrae followed the Senior Lieutenant's instructions word for word, removing the fallen section of roof from his comrades as slowly as possible. For the first time, I saw a flicker of worry on Captain Petrae's face. Even when the explosions had shaken the manor, I had not seen much change in his expression. Yet when it came to the lives of his friends, he could not completely hide his concern. But he was not the only one affected. Peter had not said anything, but his face said everything.

If someone was attacking the town, Captain Roscoe would be one of the top targets. Once both Caeso and Scaevola were free, we left them lying on the ground under Caeso's silver liquid and continued toward the main building, where the destruction was far worse. Before Captain Petrae could enter, Torquatus placed a hand on his shoulder, stopping him. Then he shook his head solemnly.

"There is no one alive inside. Not even the mayor." After finding a few survivors in the right wing, we finally made our way out of the manor. Once outside, we saw the true scale of the destruction. From the town hall to the Merchant Guild building, everything had been destroyed. Almost every island in the core area of Velkar Town had been devastated. Looking at the condition of the town hall, Peter almost broke down. Without thinking for even a second, I turned to him.

"Go. Barry and Kael, go with him," I ordered. Peter ran as soon as the words left my mouth. Captain Petrae looked at me with a raised eyebrow, but Peter was my friend, and he was worried about his family. I was not about to let him face possibly the toughest moment of his life alone. If not for the Captain's order, I would have gone with him myself.

"We should go to the central barracks," Torquatus said.

"It does not have many high-ranking fighters, but it has enough soldiers to put up a fight against the mercenaries. We might even be able to get a proper situation report there." Captain Petrae nodded, and we ran toward the barracks. When we reached it, I saw that even though half the buildings had been destroyed, the place had not fallen into complete chaos. Order was still visible. Officers were directing low-ranking soldiers, organizing cleanup, and providing first aid.

As Captain Petrae approached, one of the officers ran up to him and saluted.

"Lieutenant, give me a status report," Captain Petrae said.

"Sir, this is a full-scale invasion from Frosthallow. Before all communication was cut, we received an emergency message from Fort Dunvale reporting the sighting of two large flying mountain dragons, presumed to be Tier-6, leading a charge of multiple smaller dragons." The lieutenant's report shocked everyone present. This was the first time in any invasion that more than one Tier-6 dragon had appeared.

Each dragon was accompanied by a dragon servant of nearly the same tier, meaning four Tier-6 beings were attacking Avalon.

"That means the Count and his guards will be tied up," Captain Petrae said, somehow still keeping his emotions under control.

"Any reports on the town's condition?"

"The town is in bad shape, sir. We have received no updates from the mayor or the watch commander. Both are presumed dead. Captain Roscoe is injured." The lieutenant continued, "They also destroyed the canals, both inside and outside the walls, causing massive damage across the town. Mercenary groups are attacking almost every tower, with the towers in the commercial district and wealthy areas being targeted the most heavily." Captain Petrae turned to me.

"Sergeant Edward, take your squad to the slums and commoner districts. Those areas might still have surviving soldiers. Support them. If not, use your commoner background to motivate the commoners and take those towers back." He paused before adding, "I do not have soldiers to spare, but take Student Leif and Lela with you. They are excellent fighters, and they also share your background, which should help with your task."

Just as I was about to enter the barracks to look for my squad members, Captain Petrae's voice stopped me from behind.

"Sergeant Edward, the survival of this town and every Royal Army soldier inside it depends on our ability to retake it before Frosthallow's army arrives. Otherwise, aside from me, every soldier here will be killed."