Chương 246: Chapter 240: Standoff

Come on, you can't hold that against me. I merely heard of an incredibly powerful foe and nudged everyone slightly in your direction. Thought it could be a good hunt," Evelyn said with a disarming smile, trying her best to sound innocent.

"Wait! So you can talk to spiders?" Jack interjected, eyes lighting up with mischievous amusement.

"Josh, maybe we should find you a few grasshoppers. Imagine the possibilities—tiny, sneaky little infiltrators hopping through the catacombs, feeding us information on the enemy's defenses." He spread his arms dramatically, grinning like a child with a new toy. Josh groaned audibly and pinched the bridge of his nose, refusing to dignify that idea with a response. Thalion tilted his head, his crimson eyes narrowing thoughtfully.

"So it was that little black spider that contacted you? And are they not hunting humans?" he asked, genuinely intrigued, though he harbored no doubt that Evelyn meant them no harm. She had proven herself enough—at least, to him.

"Yes. Her name is Velkith, and she's also blessed by the Spiderqueen," Evelyn replied slowly, carefully choosing her words.

"As for harming humans… well, they've been staying away from our base since encountering you. Velkith said they aren't preying on the weaker arrivals either. But spiders aren't like an ant colony. They don't follow a hive structure. Each acts according to its own will." Maike leaned forward, curiosity sparking in her eyes rather than fear.

"Can we use these spiders to help us hunt down Amalia and Jim? Or perhaps in the war against the undead?"

"They're already doing that," Evelyn confirmed with a nod.

"But joining us inside the catacombs isn't an option. The moment they leave the forest, they lose their advantage. Velkith won't take that risk." Kaldrek mumbled something incomprehensible about hating spiders and sank deeper into his chair, nearly unconscious from the vodka.

"Gods, I've had enough of you," Maike snapped. She grabbed his jaw and forced it open, unceremoniously pouring a healing potion down his throat.

"No, no—NO!" Kaldrek shouted, but the potion was already working. His glazed-over eyes began to clear as the drunken fog lifted. He slumped forward, defeated.

"I worked so hard to be that drunk…" he muttered while straightening up.

"Don't even think about reaching for another bottle," Maike warned, eyes narrowing as his hand crept toward the table again. Josh decided to steer the conversation in a more relevant direction.

"Do we know if someone already destroyed a pillar?" Maike shook her head with a grimace.

"No, and we have no contact with the other factions. Not a word." Her tone was sharp, laced with frustration. Kaldrek rubbed his eyes.

"So when are we heading for the first catacomb? I'm already getting messages. The fighters are ready to move out. It's getting dark too."

"Already?" Thalion looked up, a hint of surprise in his voice. He'd expected more time, more laughter, more planning.

"Then let's move. The sooner we finish with those catacombs, the better."

"Wake up, Vorlok! Time for some bity-bities!" Kargul bellowed cheerfully, tugging on the flipper of the enormous turtle-beast. With a flick of his wrist, their makeshift lounge vanished into his spatial ring. A moment later, they were airborne, each taking position aboard their skyships. Thalion, however, shifted seamlessly into Eagly and soared skyward. The dark desert stretched beneath him like an ocean of sand and stone, the wind tearing through his feathers with exhilarating force.

He loved this feeling of pure speed and freedom. He needed only beat his wings every few minutes, his speed now a product of careful body-tempering and evolution. Back in the third stage, this would have been impossible. After nearly an hour of flight, the undead outpost came into view. He began circling above it like a predator, scanning the area below. Contrary to his expectations, there were no scouts or beasts patrolling the perimeter. Nothing moved outside the walls.

But inside the base, it was a different story entirely. The place teemed with undead, shifting like restless shadows between the barricades. A few humanoid figures stood among them—tall, stone-skinned beings that looked more like statues come to life than soldiers. The air around them shimmered faintly, as if warped by heat or magic. Something was waiting for them down there and it wasn't just bones and dust.

The stone-skinned warriors stood still as statues, but Thalion could feel the weight of their presence even from high above. Their auras were mostly concealed, yet the pressure in the air betrayed their power. These weren't mindless undead or bloodthirsty vampire. They held themselves like seasoned generals, each motion purposeful and precise. Among them, one towering figure radiated a strength that sent a chill down Thalion's spine. Level 95. Nearly twenty levels above his own.

And each of them wielded heavy weapons carved from obsidian-colored stone, gleaming faintly with enchantments he couldn't yet decipher. This wasn't the smooth operation they had hoped for. Thalion circled wide, scanning the area until he spotted the skyships lowering toward a safe landing point, about a kilometer from the enemy stronghold, preparing to set up their teleportation circles.

"Jo, what are those things?" Kaldrek's voice buzzed in his mind through the link, laced with concern as the crews began to deploy.

"Orrathi. Level 98," Maike answered before Thalion could. Her voice was sharp and incredulous.

"How are they that high level? And where did they even come from? I thought this world was limited to orcs, vampires, elves, and humans." Thalion had wondered the same. These warriors didn't belong. Their very presence made the battlefield feel alien, like something had gone deeply wrong with the system's rules. But logic wouldn't stop a war. If they stood in his way, he would break them like any other foe. Stoneskin or not.

"Doesn't matter," Thalion responded flatly.

"Stick to the plan. I want this special quest done and over with." Once this pillar was destroyed, they could check in with the other teams. Assuming none had failed, they'd be free to enjoy the rest of the tutorial without pressure. Of course, Thalion intended to press forward to the palace regardless but he wouldn't force the others. With Ankhet still unresurrected, their base should remain secure. He doubted even the elves would dare attack it, given the level of defensive enchantments they had installed.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

"What about the second quest?" Jack's voice chimed in, casual as ever.

"Wouldn't mind snatching a few treasures from Ankhet's palace while we're at it."

"Let's focus on this task first," Maike cut in, her tone brooking no argument.

"We can talk about treasure later, after the pillar's dealt with."

"I'm just saying we could use the tunnels to scout the palace in advance. We've got the largest army of all factions. If we move first, the treasure is practically ours." Jack's voice dripped with swagger, like a pirate eying an unguarded vault. Maike sighed.

"Okay, fine. I want to see what kind of treasure it holds too. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Destroying this pillar comes first and if any of the other camps fail, we might have to assist them before we go hunting for shiny things." Thalion tuned out the rest of the chatter. His gaze returned to the stronghold below. From this height, he could see the enemy beginning to mobilize. The Orrathi had spotted the descending skyships and were wasting no time preparing a counter-offensive.

One of the larger stone warriors, likely a commander was barking orders, sending vampires and Orrathi scrambling into formation. Descending slowly in wide spirals, Thalion adjusted his wings for speed and control. The base's heavy gates creaked open in the distance. The enemy was coming. A pity they had no real ranged siege capabilities. An oversight that always gave Thalion's forces the upper hand in these kinds of confrontations.

When he finally landed, shifting back into his human form, Josh and Jack appeared beside him almost instantly. Thalion took his position at the front of their formation, standing tall before the assembled soldiers.

"Think the stone guys will be tougher than the vampires?" Josh asked, adjusting his weapons with an easy grin. Thalion considered for a moment.

"For me? Probably. Blood attacks barely affect me anymore. You two are sure you want to stand this close? I'm not entirely certain my domain won't hit you as well."

"Don't worry," Josh replied, still smiling.

"We'll move in time. Besides, we need to be in the front. Otherwise Jack'll go crazy about losing experience." He chuckled, his grin growing wider, almost feral. Jack just gave a shrug of agreement. They were both level 80 now. Even if they didn't gain direct experience, the evolutionary benefit of fighting strong enemies was enough to justify the risk. Thalion appreciated their drive. Trustworthy, powerful allies would become rare commodities as the game progressed.

More of their elite fighters joined them, weapons drawn, expressions hardened. The gates below groaned open, and the first wave of undead stumbled out, moaning with lifeless hunger. Thalion could hear the distant rumble of movement as the undead army gathered. Unlike the more beastly strongholds they'd faced before, this one seemed to hold fewer monstrous undead. Maybe a hundred at most.

But what they lacked in numbers, they made up for in quality: hundreds of vampires marched in disciplined formations, flanked by an equal number of the towering stone-skinned Orrathi. As they began their slow, ominous advance across the field, powerful auras unfurled from their ranks like smoke from a wildfire. The ground trembled under their boots. The air thickened with impending violence. The storm was coming and Thalion would meet it head-on.

A wave of bloodlust rippled from the vampire ranks raw, feral, and barely contained. In stark contrast, the Orrathi radiated calm assurance, their stone-like expressions unshaken. Their aura wasn't chaotic or wild; it carried the steady weight of warriors well-versed in war. Thalion narrowed his eyes. Just from their presence alone, he could tell they were seasoned veterans, fighters molded by battle and time. Yet, despite their stoic confidence, it made little difference to him.

They were E-Grade, and though a few had reached the higher levels, their foundations lacked the sheer density of his own. His cultivation had been honed with precision, each layer sharpened like a blade. That gulf in quality would speak louder than any number they carried. Around him, the elite warriors of his faction began to release their auras in response. What followed was a silent clash of invisible force. One wave of pressure slamming into another, like storm fronts colliding above a battlefield.

It wasn't a show of arrogance. Aura release had a practical, psychological purpose. Morale was a fragile thing, and this display was a declaration to those behind them: We are not outmatched. We will not fall. Thalion understood the mind of the common soldier. If they believed their champions could handle the strongest threats, they'd follow with fire in their hearts, eager for a chance at glory. But if they suspected the enemy's elites might sweep through their front lines unchallenged, fear would fester.

Engagement would falter. Soldiers fought very differently when they believed they stood a chance. And while auras weren't everything, they mattered. There was rarely a reason not to dominate the enemy, especially now. If this was a trap or a bait-and-switch, perhaps subtlety would have been wiser but this was a frontal siege. They couldn't afford to give ground. The skyships and mages were already working to establish magic circles. If the enemy advanced too far, the ritual would fail.

And if the circles failed, the light beams would tear through their position like divine judgment. For a while, the clash of auras remained balanced. Then the largest Orrathi, the one Thalion had seen directing both undead and stone warriors stepped forward. His aura surged outward like a tidal wave, heavier and more oppressive than the rest. It rolled over the battlefield like thunder, silencing lesser wills in its wake. This one was strong, no doubt. A real warrior.

Thalion chuckled under his breath, a quiet sound muffled by the mask he wore. He took a step forward, slow and deliberate, crimson energy already coiling at his feet like smoke. Then, without fully unleashing his power, he let a fraction of his aura slip. The battlefield stilled. His presence exploded outward, annihilating every other aura with ruthless ease. Crimson flames licked around his form, casting him in a hellish glow, as if a demon had stepped onto the battlefield.

The inferno swirled around him in a deadly, elegant dance beautiful in its savagery. The message was clear: You are not ready for this.